We’re tossing out words like quick quitting, quiet quitting, and the great resignation with rapid frequency these days. Since the onset of the pandemic, walking away from jobs has been a consistent theme. People are not happy at their places of employment and are taking drastic actions to end that dissatisfaction.
This quitting phenomenon leads us to ask a pressing question: why do employees leave?
After conducting a lot of research on the subect, here are a few of the main reasons I’ve uncovered:
- Lack of appreciation. Many quit simply because they feel overworked and underappreciated. The thought of continuing at a job where they don’t feel valued is more than they can bear. As such, they take their chances by going their own way. The grass may or may not be greener on the others side, but that’s for them to find out.
- Limited opportunities for growth. Often, people walk away because they think that there isn’t a chance for them to move up within a company. Because they don’t see a future, they opt to move to an organization where they can envision one.
- Economic reasons. Cash talks. Perhaps an employee is underpaid for what they do or it could be that it doesn’t make financial sense for them to continue. Maybe they’ve been offered a more lucrative position elsewhere. Whatever the reason, money is the motivator for many.
- Feeling disconnected from the team. If employees don’t feel like they are gelling with the group or aren’t very connected to the organization, they are less likely to hang in there for the long haul. When employees are disconnected, they are much less loyal and satisfied with their work which is bad for all involved.
- Not enough flexibility. Some people simply long for the ability to structure their days in a way that better suits their different responsibilities. Being chained to a desk during prescribed hours has lost its appeal for most. In today’s society, we value the ability to choose how we prioritize our time.
- To seek other opportunities. With so many people leaving positions, new jobs and possibilities open up all the time. Individuals are leaving one organization for another in order to move themselves ahead both professionally and personally.
- No work-life balance. Burnout and overwhelm are at the heart of numerous resignations. People want to reclaim their lives and spend more time with the people they love, doing the things that make them complete.
In order to ensure that your teams don’t engage in the popular phenomenon of quitting, address the seven areas I’ve mentioned and you’ll have happier, more seasoned employees (that want to stick around).