8 Reasons For Employee Resignations and How to Make Them Stay

HR teams are some of the busiest people in any company. Recruitment and employee relations aren’t the only things on their plate as they too have to deal with the uglier parts of their job, like resignations. Keeping turnover rates to a minimum is an HR role that always proves challenging, even for veteran hiring managers. Although recruiters anticipate this when they’re doing HR planning sessions, it’s always a shame to see good talent walk out their doors.

8 Reasons For Employee Resignations and How to Make Them Stay

Why Employees Resign and How to Make Them Stay?

There are 8 common reasons employees decide to leave their jobs. Let’s go in-depth into each reason and offer solutions to remedy them.

Salary

Let’s be honest and talk about the (unsurprising) elephant in the room here. A survey conducted by San Francisco-based marketplace Hired revealed that 75% of its respondents walk away from their jobs in search of higher pay. It’s fair that employees want the right compensation for their hard work; at the end of the day, they’re working to earn money, regardless if it’s for themselves or for other people. The most obvious solution is handing out a reasonable increase in employees’ base salaries. If you compensate your people well enough, you can bet that they’ll stick around for a good while.

Location and Commuting

Commuting to work can be a pain, especially for employees who live far from their workplaces. They would rather save their time for something more productive than getting caught in horrible traffic en route to work. Who wants to be stuck for hours in cramped vehicles? 42% of Hired’s respondents said that they’d leave their current jobs if they see good opportunities in better locales. To keep your talent from bolting, you may want to consider adopting flexible work policies. This trend isn’t gaining traction in companies without a reason. Just imagine having the option to work from anywhere at any time you prefer. Pretty convenient, right?

Lack of Opportunities to Use Their Skills

When an employee says he or she feels underutilized, consider that as a red flag. This can mean two things: one, he or she isn’t satisfied with the bulk of the work they’re doing; two, they’re unhappy with the work itself. If their dissatisfaction doesn’t dissipate, they’ll look for better opportunities elsewhere. Before an employee waves the white flag, have a sit-down conversation and get to the issue at hand. There’s no use beating around the bush here, so talk to them about how you can help him or her recover their passion for work. You may also want to beef up your company’s training and development program for added motivation.

Work Environment and Culture

Never underestimate the power of toxic work environments. Why bother clocking in when your workplace is the closest thing to hell on earth? Unhealthy work environments leave damaging effects on employees. It takes a toll on one’s mental health, which derails any concentration and motivation they have within themselves while working. This leads to employee burnout, which is enough for some people to resign and be happy somewhere else. Going to work shouldn’t be a nightmare for employees. Keep your employee retention high by giving your corporate culture and environment a makeover. Instill some much-needed positivity into your workplace to give employee morale a huge boost.

Lack of Recognition

Employees won’t tell this to their bosses outright, but a little dose of recognition from them can go a long way. This may seem small for employers, but a lack of appreciation is enough to send employees packing for another job. Although an employee doesn’t work solely for the sake of a positive performance review, managers and supervisors should at least commend them for their work. Appreciation and recognition can come in various forms, such as positive feedback, pay raises, and bonuses. Good managers know when to give credit when it’s due; otherwise, they’d be losing good talent left and right.

Internal Communication Issues

Poor communication is a sign of bad employee management. When employees pick up on this, their willpower gradually diminishes until there’s none of it left. Managers just can’t leave employees to fend for themselves when it comes to internal communication issues; it’s completely unprofessional to do so since it’s part of their jobs. Good bosses know how to read a room and tell if something’s off. They should be able to answer employees clearly and honestly if they bring communication issues up. Be a better manager for your people by following up on whatever communication problems you have. This shows that you’re actively looking out for their well-being.

Lack of Involvement in Decision Making

We all know that bosses call the final shots. However, they should at least trust their employees to make sound decisions at work. When employee decisions are frequently questioned and shrugged off, their stress and anxiety levels rise. If they find themselves constantly seeking approval on every action and decision, they will feel micromanaged. All these can greatly affect work performance and hinder them from working at their best. People don’t want to work for companies or organizations that don’t value their decision-making skills. If you don’t want your employee relations to sour, learn to trust your people. It will totally pay off in the long run.

Employee Satisfaction

For dissatisfied employees, going to work feels liked being dragged through concrete. A 2018 Gallup report says that 53% of the workforce is stuck in engagement purgatory; although they’re not miserable, they aren’t over the moon either. Amp up your employee engagement and satisfaction by rolling out an employee satisfaction survey. This allows you to look at various areas (performance management, teamwork, and empowerment for example) and see where you can improve. Once you get your results, be committed to create and implement necessary changes to keep your employees happy and fulfilled. Be sure to keep employees informed about your planned changes to earn their trust.

Recruiting employees is one thing; getting them to stay is a different ballpark. Since they’re your most valuable asset, your management strategy should convince them why your organization is worth their talent and loyalty. Save yourself from countless exit interviews and keep these 8 common reasons in mind as you manage your people.

More in HR