Good management is important. We all know this. In fact, multiple studies have shown that not getting along with a manager is often the strongest influence on employee engagement—and eventual departure. Or, at least, that's what we thought.
According to new research from IBM on why employees quit, the old HR adage "people don't leave companies, they leave managers" is being called into question. After surveying 22,000 people, IBM found out the following:
- 14 percent leave because they are unhappy with their manager
- 40 percent leave because they are unhappy with their jobs
- 39 percent leave for personal reasons (e.g., spouse relocation, child care, health, etc.)
- 20 percent leave because they are unhappy with the organization
- 18 percent leave due to uncertainty in the organization, following a change
Even with the ability to pick multiple reasons for leaving, only 14 percent named their boss as a reason for leaving. Of course, this doesn't mean that we don't need good managers. But it does mean that HR and the senior staff should think more holistically about why people quit before pinning it on individual managers. Let's take a closer look.
40 Percent of People Are Unhappy With Their Job
Is it the work? Is it the pay? Is it the coworkers? All of these things can weigh in on an employee's mind. If we don't have interesting, challenging work and growth opportunities, people will go elsewhere. If we allow toxic employees to torment their co-workers, people will go elsewhere. While the work needs to get done (and some work just will never be interesting), we need to make sure that we're offering the best that we can.
39 Percent Leave for Personal Reasons
Can you fix personal reasons? Maybe and maybe not. If a spouse is in the military and gets transferred, your employee will need to move. If you can't bear to see the employee leave, consider the option to let people work remotely. If the employee doesn't accept, then you'll know it's probably a bigger issue with the role than "personal reasons."
Childcare is also an important consideration when it comes to personal departures. Subsidizing daycare, allowing more flexible schedules and part-time work, and ensuring that overtime never comes as a surprise will make it easier to retain working parents.
20 Percent Are Unhappy With the Organization
Unhappiness with the organization, or sensing organizational uncertainty, is an issue that stems from the top. Are leaders being honest with employees, or are they making unexpected and unexplained changes?
While it's easy to say, "people leave because they don't like their managers," that answer often lets everyone else in an organization off the hook. By facing the fact that there are several other reasons people quit their jobs, company leaders can improve retention by evaluating a range of potential issues. If you want to retain your best employees, it's time to start looking at the big picture.
Photo: Creative Commons
Gerelateerde bronnen
Wilt u blijven leren? Bekijk onze producten, klantverhalen en de nieuwste branche-inzichten.
Blogpost
Hoe kun je de volgende generatie werknemers aantrekken en behouden?
Vincent Belliveau, Chief International Officer, Cornerstone
Blogpost
Anders werken in een nieuwe wereld: HR-voorspellingen 2024
Op het kruispunt van technologie en personeel nemen HR-leiders daadkrachtig het voortouw bij het transformeren van de wijze waarop organisaties omgaan met de complexe werkwereld van vandaag. Met de intrede van 2024 vraagt het snelle tempo van verandering, aangejaagd door technologische vooruitgang, om een scherp inzicht in opkomende trends.
E-book
Anders werken in een nieuwe wereld: HR-voorspellingen 2024
Hoe goed weet uw organisatie om te gaan met de snelle veranderingen die op ons af blijven komen? 41% van de werknemers zegt niet te beschikken over de benodigde middelen om hun skills te ontwikkelen, terwijl 59% op zoek is naar meer loopbaanbegeleiding. Daarom is het voor HR-managers belangrijker dan ooit om op de hoogte te blijven van de nieuwste trends en te begrijpen wat deze voor hun personeel en organisatie betekenen. Toch maakt meer dan 60% van de organisaties geen gebruik van AI-technologie om hun talentprogramma te optimaliseren.