Why Employees Quit

The so-called war for talent is still raging. But in that fight, employers continue to rely on the same hiring and retention strategies they’ve been using for decades. Why? Because they’ve been so focused on challenges such as poaching by industry rivals, competing in tight labor markets, and responding to relentless cost-cutting pressures that they haven’t addressed a more fundamental problem: the widespread failure to provide sustainable work experiences. To stick around and give their best, people need meaningful work, managers and colleagues who value and trust them, and opportunities to advance in their careers, the authors say. By supporting employees in their individual quests for progress while also meeting the organization’s needs, managers can create employee experiences that are mutually beneficial and sustaining.

In interviews, surveys, classroom discussions, consulting engagements, and coaching sessions, we’ve found again and again that employees who quit their jobs do so because they aren’t making the progress they seek in their careers and lives.

 In our qualitative dataset we found that career moves were driven primarily by four quests:

1- Attrition Is a Persistent, Costly Problem: Leaders can’t reasonably blame their human capital troubles on the economic or competitive challenges of the day.

2- The Forces That Compel Job Moves: For example, a salesperson in our sample who felt micromanaged in his job stayed put until he was enticed by an offer that would allow him to take control over all aspects of the sales cycle. People who change jobs do so because they want to get out of their current situation, regain control of their work or lives, regain alignment between their work and their knowledge and capabilities, or take the next step in their careers

3- Interview Them Early On: He finds that when he can’t offer them more ways to continue growing, it’s far better to have an upfront conversation about what’s next for them than to delay their inevitable departure. That way employees don’t stall in their quests for progress, and his team doesn’t stagnate from a loss of energy and productivity.

4. Develop “Shadow” Job Descriptions. Perhaps the most fundamental problem to solve is the job description. It’s usually a hodgepodge of skills, qualifications, and platitudes so broad as to be meaningless. To prevent misunderstandings or broken promises later, especially given how easily managers can lose sight of informal arrangements in the heat of getting an organization’s work done, we suggest summarizing any agreements in written communications with candidates. 

5. Huddle with HR. But the more finely you can slice roles and tasks, the more opportunity you’ll have to design jobs that find the sweet spot between organizational needs and individual progress. First, work together to decide how to introduce employees to this new way of thinking about progress. For instance, during onboarding you might familiarize people with the concepts and how they fit into your organization’s talent processes. That will help when you sit down later to conduct interviews about their previous roles. SOURCE HBR