Employee Retention: Top 6 Reasons
People Want to Quit Their Jobs
It's no wonder why employee retention consultants thrive: surveys of employers and employees over the past 60 years have consistently shown that bosses have very different ideas about what motivates their people to stay on than what the employees themselves have to say.
The biggest employer misconception is that employees are more motivated by pay than by treatment. Yet employees have consistently noted in survey after survey that pay is about halfway down the list of the top-10 reasons they stay on or leave a job. The main reasons people want to quit center on treatment and conditions.
When the economy is down, employees are more likely to tolerate what they perceive as odd management policies and even poor treatment. But as soon as another door opens, they'll run through it ... even if conditions are similar, if for no other reason than to change the faces they see every day.
Here are the top reasons employees quit and what you can do to avoid them:
- Bosses micromanage rather than trust workers to perform. Set clear standards and expectations for job performance, then let your employees do what you hired them to do. Correct obvious shortcomings but allow latitude for people to carry out their tasks. Being overly-critical will backfire on a boss every time. If you expect workers to perform poorly, they will. But if you expect them to do well, and give them room to breathe, most will deliver without further effort on your part.- Supervisors squash their workers' spirit. This often happens when an employee was hired for his or her drive and talent, then a supervisor becomes afraid that the employee will outshine them. Then the supervisor works to bring the worker down in order to feel "bigger" by comparison. If you have a supervisor like that, it's time to step in.
- Management doesn't listen to employee input. When communication is only one-way, employees feel more like a piece of a machine than a valuable part of a team. Let your people know that you want to hear their input. You may be right about your decisions, but when employees feel that bosses don't care about what they have to contribute, they'll look to fulfill that need for appreciation elsewhere.
- Bosses lob general expectations without clear specifics. Make sure that your people clearly understand the task objectives and what needs to happen in order to accomplish them.
- There aren't enough adequate resources to get the job done. In addition to not having proper tools and equipment, other things such as site conditions, lack of training and experience, and difficult customers can also hamper your employees in doing their jobs adequately. There's also a common misconception, especially among newer small business owners, that employees should be able to perform to the same level as the boss. But that's rarely realistic. Make sure to provide adequate management support and don't expect your people to produce more than is reasonable under the conditions.
And the biggest reason of all that employees want to quit:
- Disrespect by management. Remember that there are two types of respect: the kind that's earned (respect for accomplishments, for example) and the type that human beings deserve in general. Correct your workers without offending their dignity and they'll be more inclined to work for you to accomplish just about anything within their abilities.
Employee retention is more about respect than money. People need to feel that they're worth something; that they have something to contribute that's valuable enough to be acknowledged. Simple acknowledgment doesn't cost a thing ... and your people will appreciate you, and remain loyal to you, when you show your appreciation of them.
Also see:
The "Secret" to Keeping Your Best Employees
What your employees want most from you doesn't cost a dime. But knowing it can save you a fortune - and most employers DON'T know!
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© Copyright 2007 Michael Riley. All rights reserved.