6 reasons why employees leave

This is the second article in this month’s series on improving your recruitment strategy in Q1. More articles will be published throughout the month, and the full series can be found at monarc­hper­sonnel.­com.

In last week’s blog where we shared tips on retaining staff we discussed ‘The Big Resignation’ and its impact on businesses. To recap, employees are no longer ‘making do’ with their jobs. They firmly believe that the grass is greener and are getting their skates on to look elsewhere for employment (not that they’ll be any good on that lush, green grass!).

In a candidate-driven recruitment market this is costly for businesses partly because of the disruption to the organisation but also because it is so difficult and time consuming to replace valuable workers.

We need to understand why employees leave. At Monarch Personnel we obviously talk to candidates on a daily basis, and from those conversations we have it on good authority that these are some of the main reasons why candidates jump ship:

Better opportunities

The challenge: In previous decades when people stayed in jobs longer and career development was more limited, employees expected to sit tight in their current job, make a good impression and pounce on a promotion at the right time. Loyalty and stability made people stay. Now in the 2020s employees are impatient and see no harm in job hopping to get to where they want to be.

The solution: Show employees the benefits of staying put and encourage them to develop their chances of promotion or pursuing other opportunities within the organisation. Offer regular training, keep communication channels open, give them more responsibility if they want it and do regular performance reviews.

Better benefits

Problem: According to a survey by Adler, benefits are a huge influence on employee contentment. Of the 1000 workers surveyed, half said they’d apply for jobs based on the perks alone with many rating benefits as more important than basic salary.

In terms of retention, a third said they would leave their job if benefits were not updated and reviewed regularly, with 43% saying if benefits were stopped, they’d leave.

The solution: Offer a competitive package of benefits that makes employees feel valued and happy to stay. Perks boost morale, productivity and engagement so it’s a win-win. Options include flexible working, share schemes, bonuses, competitive maternity/­paternity pay schemes and pensions.

Flexible working

The challenge: Especially following the pandemic, there are expectations around flexible working. With workers juggling work, family life and other commitments many leave their jobs because the hours are too rigid. They want or need more of a work/life balance, and this is an easy way to get it.

The solution: Formalising flexible working reduces absences and sick days. Offer flexible working hours by loosening the start and finish times or by offering compressed hours or a job share. The opportunity to work from home is also appealing to many employees.

Lack of stability

The challenge: Employees are easily spooked. If they feel the stability of their job is in danger they will start to look elsewhere rather than asking for clarity from their employer.

The solution: Keep the dialogue open. Ask employees if they have concerns. Address stability anxieties openly and speak to employees individually to tell them they’re valued and their job is safe.

Wrong culture

The challenge: At Monarch Personnel we encourage our clients to recruit on mindset which helps to find a culture fit between candidate and organisation. Culture is very important to employees and expectations are high. If they observe bullying or a cliquey mentality, they won’t feel confident in coming forward to report the situation. Consequently, a negative culture is difficult to spot.

The solution: Provide opportunities for team building and socialising. Advocate a respectful atmosphere and be vigilant for lapses in how teams work together.

Poor work environment

The challenge: Employees, particularly Gen Z, are looking for an inspiring work environment. They want great facilities, plants, lively colour schemes, breakout areas and bright, open offices.

The solution: It’s easy to say give them what they want when budget might be an issue, but at the very least you should endeavour to offer an environment that is clean and bright and facilitates communication and collaboration. The company will win too!

Look out for the next article

The third article in our February series will be published next Wednesday, February 16th in which we will give you tips for hiring remote workers.

In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Monarch Personnel, you can read our latest articles by signing up for our newsletter. You can also follow us on our social media channels: LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook, or visit our website www.­monarc­hper­sonnel.­com.