Dec 17, 2018
Why Do Employees Really Quit Their Jobs?
People don’t quit a job or even a company, the saying goes – they quit a boss. Employees are 48% more likely to jump ship when they feel the individual or group of individuals they report to, are not using their strengths to their fullest potential, if they are being prohibited from growing, and if they are simply not happy with the tasks assigned. The cost of employee turnover can be exorbitant, with some recent estimates putting the price at $45,000 to $150,000 to replace a single employee.
Research shows that if organizations want to keep their people, especially their stand-out stars, attention needs to be paid to how their position is designed. Most companies design positions and titles, then slot people into them. However, it may be worth looking at finding the most talented and most appropriate cultural fit, then creating the position around them. There is a longevity to this method that has been proven in some of the country’s most successful organizations.
Essentially, three fundamental ways exist in which management can customize experiences for their people – enable them to do the work they feel most passionate about, assist them in playing to their strengths, and creating a path for career development that accommodates their personal priorities. The most effective route for ensuring this happens is to stay in touch with what your employee is thinking. Are they fulfilled? Do they feel they are being communicated with? And most importantly, are they receiving the feedback and recognition they need from their boss to keep on going constructively with positivity.
Many of us have unanswered callings; passions that we were never able to pursue. It may have been a lack of education, training, the means to obtain those two things, or simply the opportunity never presenting itself. However, finding yourself in a different career with a different title does not make these passions disappear – they always linger. Since most of us spend our daytime hours at work with simultaneous family commitments, there isn’t always time to pursue these interests, and we subconsciously look for ways to bring our interests into our jobs. Great employee satisfaction comes from being able to integrate interests and craft positions; thus lessening the likelihood of attrition.
Too often, managers don’t know enough about what their team enjoys or even what their true strengths are. Narrowing one’s job description can stifle the ability of a manager to capitalize on the full range of their employees’ skills and strengths. Creating opportunities for people to use these strengths creates value and worth. In our increasingly connected world, a huge part of project completion is seeking and sharing knowledge. Tapping in to what already exists on your team in critical to employee retention.
People leave jobs, and it’s up to leadership to design jobs that are too good to leave. Great managers shield and protect their people from toxicity. They open doors to meaningful work and professional development. They enable teams to be energized, perform at optimal levels, and grow professionally without minimizing their home and personal life. Having a boss who cares about both their employees’ success as well as happiness, it’s hard to imagine going elsewhere.
About Kennedy Executive
Kennedy Executive Search & Consulting is a global partner network of retained search boutiques in Europe, Africa, North America and Asia Pacific with offices in Amsterdam, Budapest, Copenhagen, Denver, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London, Milan, Monaco, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Sydney and Vienna. The network covers 360 degrees of talent management: executive search finds and assesses the right talent in the market, consulting develops people and organizations. With the addition of Evolve South Africa, Kennedy is now active on 4 continents and in 14 countries and offers a global reach. Between the 75+ consultants and researchers, 30 languages are spoken. As a network Kennedy will run 365 strategic recruitments all over the world this year. Kennedy Executive Search & Consulting helps organizations to achieve their goals and people to enhance their careers every day.