Turnover is the bane of organizations everywhere, and not everyone is leaving for more money. Very often, there are other circumstances behind the departure of good employees. Usually, management has something to do with it.
Managers and supervisors always look to deflect blame off themselves whenever valuable manpower goes off in search of greener pastures, Unfortunately, they need only look in the mirror most times.
Here are some key reasons why good employees choose not to hang around:
Overwork
One of the biggest no-nos that sends good people scurrying for the exits is overwork. We go on endlessly about not having work-life balance, but for some people, the scales are tipped heavily in favor of work. Research from Stanford University shows that productivity declines significantly when people put in more than 50 hours per week. After 55 hours, many people don’t get anything done.
Hard Work Doesn’t Get Recognized
The proverbial pat on the back goes a long way in making people feel appreciated. If people are working hard and giving their all to their jobs, they deserve recognition. Managers need to be aware of what makes their employees happy, and reward them for a job well done. No recognition is a sure way to lose good people. For this, good planning and organizing skills are needed.
Management Doesn’t Care
More than half of the people who leave their jobs do so because they don’t get along with their bosses. Sure, money is usually an issue, but a contentious relationship with a superior contributes to more turnover than a low salary. Bosses that are able to celebrate an employees achievements, and empathize with them during hard times hang onto better people than ones who always give the impression that they don’t care.
Management Doesn’t Make Good On Its Promises
When management makes certain promises to employees, it should do everything possible to honor them. Good employees will not tolerate broken promises from management because if management can’t keep its word, why should they? If the promise of a raise or a promotion is not kept, chances are the employee will not hang around for long.
The Wrong People Get Hired and Promoted
Managers have to be a strong, accurate judge of character in order to be successful. If you’ve got a team of excellent employees, the last thing you want to do is hire or promote someone who does not fit in. Dedicated, professional people want to work with other like-minded individuals. An interloper who doesn’t deserve to hold a position or be promoted will create serious dissension. A good training platform might be helpful in such cases.
Management Stifles Passions
Good employees are often passionate about their work. If that passion isn’t nurtured, productivity will diminish, and people will become bored and frustrated. If employees feel like they are stuck in a box, the lack of job satisfaction will surely lead them to look for employment elsewhere.
Skills Remain Undeveloped
Good managers are constantly looking for ways to challenge their employees. If you nudge someone out of their comfort zone just a little, they will find they have talents they didn’t know they possessed. Leaving someone to do the same repetitive job will lead them to grow bored and resentful that they are never given a chance to move on to something more challenging.
Creativity Isn’t Nurtured
The majority of good employees love to indulge their creativity. If new solutions can be found for old problems, they’re worth exploring. Stifling employees’ creativity sends a signal that management doesn’t care how the job gets done, as long as its done. That can lead to sloppy work and even bigger problems.
No Intellectual Challenges
Setting mundane goals with no chance to expand beyond one’s comfort zone is not only boring, it’s insulting. If a manager chooses not to leverage an employee’s intellect, he or she will feel marginalized. Talented and intelligent people demand to be challenged. If they’re not, they won’t be happy stamping out widgets for a living; they’ll move on to a position that will give them what they want.
The best way to retain top talent in your organization is to ensure that these people want to work for you. If you’re tired of the revolving door, try online personal development training to help mend bad managerial habits, and start some positive new ones. Visit Coggno.com now for more information or try our free LMS service.