"I Quit!"
THE BOSS: “Don’t think of me as your boss, think of me as a friend who is never wrong!” … “When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” … “We don’t pay you to think. We pay you to work.” … “You want recognition? We recognize you every time you get a paycheck.” … “Your job is what I say it is.” … “You're lucky to even have a job.” … “I don’t know what it is that you need to improve, but something is definitely wrong and you should work on fixing it.”
THE EMPLOYEE: “The only way I would ever work here again is if the world were coming to an end … because every day working here feels like an eternity.” … “You can’t pay me enough to ever want to work here again.” … “You treat us all the same – AWFUL.” … “I QUIT.”
I was recently talking to staffing industry expert Daniel Abramson about why people leave companies. I met him when he was the president of an international staffing firm with 120 offices. He now has his own firm (www.staffdynamics.biz) and is helping companies in their hiring and retention practices. I wanted his input on the troublesome problem of WHY qualified, talented and needed employees leave companies, especially when it costs so much money to find, hire and train them. The last three words of his first statement to me were very disconcerting. He first stated the obvious – “there are several reasons why good people quit” – but then added … “MOST ARE PREVENTABLE.” OUCH!
Here are his 5 Top Reasons Why Employees Leave Firms:
- Lack of corporate compatibility and fit
- Lack of appreciation by management
- Lack of support from inside staff
- Limited advancement and personal growth opportunities
- Money and compensation issues
He also mentioned that … People don't quit their company, they generally quit their boss … and Too much emphasis is placed on the technical aspects of the job and not the soft people skills. I suggest if you are having a problem with a particular employee, you might want to move them to a different department, reporting to a different boss, before firing someone you have invested so much money in; some people just aren’t meant to work with each other. And while you are doing your reassignments, make sure you give both the manager and employee some help with their soft skills.
It costs a lot of money to replace an employee; some experts say it can cost up to 20% of a worker’s salary to replace them, so it’s in every business’s best interests to keep their top performers. Interestingly, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, 46% of employees leave their job because they do not feel appreciated. I would be starting there. It doesn’t cost a dime to tell people …
You are doing a great job
I really appreciate your contribution
This company is a better place because of you
I don’t know what I would do without you
You made it happen – thanks for all your effort
It’s free, effective and smart! Compliments Cost Nothing – Unspoken Praise Is Costly
