Employee turnover is a major concern for businesses in all industries. According to a recent Gallup report, 60 percent of Millennials and 45 percent of non-Millennials say they’re open to new job opportunities. Employees leave organizations for a wide range of reasons, many of which are unknown to their employers. Understanding the reasoning behind employee resignations can help you retain top talent and grow a stronger workforce.
Things Top Talent Thinks Before Quitting
Learn some of the top reasons why employees quit and how acquiring HR consulting services early on could help you avoid high worker turnover.
1. “This Is A Toxic Work Environment”
Even the most flexible of employees can get fed up with a chaotic work environment. While you expect all of your employees to act professionally in the workplace, gossip can run rampant and personalities can clash. When conflicts become a daily occurrence and competition between workers causes undue tension, employees may consider quitting.
If you are an employer and notice your workers appear tired, discouraged, or burned-out, you may have a toxic culture at work. Start by identifying problem behaviors, such as social cliques, aggressive bullying behavior, or acts of favoritism. Practice strategies to address workplace concerns, such as engaging in transparent communication, listening to employee issues, and having all employees follow the same set of rules.
2. “I Am Not Getting The Benefits I Need”
A generous employee benefits package can be a major attraction when luring in new job candidates. It can also be what existing employees consider when deciding whether to stay put or quit. To maintain a good quality of life, employees need good health insurance, ample vacation and sick days, and possibly paid maternity or paternity leave. If you cannot provide these benefits, an employee might look elsewhere.
As an employer, you may be offering a lackluster benefits package or no benefits at all. While you may believe that you are saving money by denying benefits, you may actually be losing money due to a higher employee turnover. Remember that benefits do not have to be huge to be appreciated. A few extra personal days, free meals, or use of a company car can go far.
3. “A Promotion Will Never Happen”
While most employees do not expect to get promoted right away, they probably do expect to get higher in the ranks eventually. If an employee has had the same job for many years without extra pay or a promotion, they may consider quitting. Workers may be even more motivated to quit if they see a less qualified or experienced team member receive a promotion or increase in pay.
While promotions should not be given out randomly, they should be considered when an employee has performed exceptional work steadily and/or if he or she has remained with your company for an extended period of time. Providing opportunities for advancement into higher-paying and more demanding positions can encourage your top talent to grow with your company.
4. “I Dislike How Management Operates”
Poor management is a common reason why many talented employees look elsewhere for work. Although the top characteristics of a good manager is good communication and interpersonal skills, many managers today do not possess these skills. If an employee feels that management is not providing enough feedback, are not being a good role model, or do too much yelling, screaming, or threatening, quitting may be on their mind. Having unclear communication between employees and management can leave both sides unhappy and frustrated which only grows more concerning over time.
Resolving employee-manager conflict is not always easy. It is important for those in management to become more self-aware and know how to approach conflict via avoidance, accommodation, collaboration, or even compromise. Management must also be willing to listen to employee concerns and respond in a respectful way, even if they have different perspectives. Management should also know when to involve HR. Most businesses have policies and procedures in place to help employees work through such issues in a professional manner. It is also important to remember that whether a conflict is ongoing or a one-time incident, it should be treated in a serious manner.
Benefits Of Working With An HR Consultant
HR consulting services not only help businesses create a more positive and productive workplace environment, but they can also have a satisfactory impact on a company’s bottom line. Whether you have just a handful of employees or hundreds of workers, you want to try and retain your top talent and avoid them going to your competitors. However, this is not always easy, especially when you are unaware of ongoing issues in the workplace. For effective HR solutions, consider the acquisition of HR consulting services. For more information about how to avoid or remedy common workplace issues and retain your best employees, contact the HR consultants at Smart HR.
