Why Employees Leave Companies in 2018

6/6/2018
 

A few weeks ago, I asked the question “If you were to start looking for a new job today, what would be the number one reason?” And the majority of employees responded…

Better compensation and benefits.

So, as much as we might not want to admit that money drives career decisions, it does. And as human resources professionals, we just can’t ignore this. Money is still important and we have to find ways to take the money conversation “off the table”, meaning that employees need to feel that they are getting paid competitively both internally and externally. They also want relevant benefits that they can use.

It won’t be any surprise that not too far behind compensation and benefits was a three-way tie with opportunities for advancement, supportive management, and flexible work. In some way, I can see all of these reasons being interrelated. Is management supportive of flexible work? Are managers coaching and mentoring employees for future opportunities? Can team members move into positions of greater responsibility and still have a flexible work schedule?

While I tried to keep this survey simple and only allowed for one response, it’s obvious that the reasons employees leave in 2018 are multi-faceted. It also demonstrates how necessary it is for managers and HR to do regular stay interviews and exit interviews as a way to understand what their workforce likes about the company.

The one area of this survey that did surprise me was the less than 4 percent who cited they wanted better training and development. I wonder what employee expectations are when it comes to company training. Is it possible that all of the conversation about “owning your career” means employees feel totally responsible for their own development?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m an advocate for employee self-learning. But organizations still have an obligation to train employees. And train them well. Eventually, organizations will want workers to be ready to take on additional responsibilities. Employees want opportunities for advancement (as evidenced by these survey responses). So, let’s hope employees are getting more than enough training and it’s the best training ever.

I realize this is a short, unscientific survey, but it does give you some indicators about what employees value in their jobs. And there really aren’t any true shockers. So, organizations don’t have excuses not to address them.

 
 
 
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