Top 5 Reasons People Leave Their Jobs

Our recruiters talk to thousands of job seekers, and one of the first questions they ask is “Why did you, or why are you thinking of, leaving your employer?”. We compiled the top reasons given for why people leave their employment. Although this is a list of top answers, there will most likely be a combination of reasons at play when someone decides to leave their current job. Some of the reasons are out of the employers control such as relocating with a spouse or staying at home with the kids. But there are many reasons that the employer can control.

1. 1. 1. Fair Compensation
         It’s no surprise that this would be one of the top reasons given as a reason for wanting to find a new job. Companies are trying to do more with less, and underpaying employees, or taking bits and pieces out of the compensation and benefits package to reduce cost may result in employees starting to look elsewhere. It’s easy to go online to find out what others with similar experience and job responsibilities are making. Are your most valued employees being compensated per market value?
      2. Advancement Opportunities
         Another top reason was the desire to find a position that offers opportunity for advancement. This may be more difficult in smaller organizations, so look for other ways to make sure your employees feel satisfied in their work, and have an opportunity to take on additional responsibilities.
      3. Job Security
         There are many reasons why employees will feel like their job might be on the line. Upcoming layoffs, sudden changes in management, lack of appreciation for their work, decline in sales or other organizational changes that are not seen as positive changes. Make sure to have an appropriate communication and change management plan in place to instill confidence in your employees about upcoming changes. Or, you might find some of your most valued employees start having doubts about their future with your organization, and start looking elsewhere.
      4. Bad Management
         It’s important for employees to be able to work with their direct supervisors. They don’t have to be friends, but must be able to work together. Having to face a bad manager every day is a large contributor to not enjoying coming into work, and will also amplify negative feelings about other aspects of the job that may have been tolerable before. That 1 hour commute that was not a big deal initially may suddenly seem like a major ordeal every day.
      5. Work-life balance
         As many organizations are downsizing and trying to get more done with fewer employees, employers are asking their staff to take on more responsibilities. Often without offering an increase in compensation. Having to take on more job duties that were not in the original job description, asking people to work extra hours, while not at the same time offering a promotion or raise, will prompt your employees to look for other opportunities.

In the end, there’s not going to be only one reason someone leaves, but rather a combination. A few steps to take to make sure you are keeping your employees happy and retaining your talent is to communicate regularly and effectively with everyone in the organization about what’s going on. Also, ask for feedback, whether it is 1-on-1 or an employee survey. Employees who feel appreciated and informed are less likely to take the step to leave. If you do find yourself in the situation of having to either find a replacement for an employee that has left the organization, or find talent for a brand-new position that has opened, we have a deep pool of qualified candidates that we would be happy to discuss with you.