Can I be totally honest with you?
As an entrepreneur, we need to recognize that we need others in order to fulfill our vision and we need to hire great employees in order for our enterprise to become great.
However, we also need to accept the fact that some great employees do quit.
Sometimes, the reason can be because of something they cannot control or because of personal or family reasons – this can be acceptable.
Nonetheless, some great employees still do quit not because they need to, but they feel they need to leave the company for good.
Sometimes, it may even come as a surprise when one of your employees quit:
You’ve seen them grow, you know they love their jobs and their dedication and sense of ownership are exceptional.
Having a clear understanding of what makes great employees leave can help us avoid this unfortunate situation.
While not any enterprise can ever be perfect, entrepreneurs can do something to make sure their best employees stay.
So what could be the reason they quit the job they love?
Here are 7 Reasons Why Great Employees Quit their Job:
1. Poor management
That’s right
Some of the great employees quit not because they despise their jobs or they hate the company, they quit because of poor management.
As a manager, you are responsible for your employees’ welfare.
If they feel like they are not being taken cared of, or if they feel like you consider them only as a commodity, they would not hesitate to leave the company.
Especially if they find that you have no compassion for them.
Remember, employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their managers.
Employees are a company’s greatest asset – they’re your competitive advantage. You want to attract and retain the best; provide them with encouragement, stimulus, and make them feel that they are an integral part of the company’s mission. – Anne M. Mulcahy
2. Overwork
Can this really be true?
So you’ve discovered that your new employee is a precious gem – that he or she has more skills than anyone in your team.
Then, you start giving them more and more responsibilities.
Why not?
They have the potential and it’s helping them.
Not really!
Remember, your employees are human too and they will eventually get tired and exhausted.
If you keep throwing more and more responsibilities without properly compensating them or giving them recognition, they will eventually get tired and of course, quit their jobs.
This situation often happens when a company needs to do cost-cutting measures by laying off other employees.
They usually retain the best ones and give them more projects not considering how much they already have on their plate.
Nobody ever wants to feel like they are just machines who do the work, they can only do as much.
The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people. – Tom Peters
3. Lack of growth
If you already have a great employee join your team, remember that they are great because they simply are.
If they feel that they are stuck in a dead-end job, they will surely seek growth somewhere else.
Begin to create a plan for your best employee on how you could help them grow, not only as an employee but as an individual as well.
It can be as simple as supporting them to continue further studies or allowing them to attend skills and development training.
Make them feel that as the company grows, they grow with it too.
Even your most talented employees have room for growth in some area, and you’re doing your employee a disservice if the sum of your review is: ‘You’re great!’ No matter how talented the employee, think of ways he could grow towards the position he might want to hold two, five, or 10 years down the line. – Kathryn Minshew
4. Lack of recognition
That’s right
Good employees are good because they do the work they are required to do, but great employees are better, not only because they are able to get the job done -they are great because they get the job done excellently and even go out of their way to do more.
Sure, they may feel like it’s okay not to receive any recognition at first, but in time, if they see how much they have accomplished and not get recognized for it, they will most probably want to go where they are celebrated.
Lack of recognition – this is where most employers fail.
They think their employees are just doing fine until they get a two-week notice.
Don’t neglect your employee’s accomplishments, instead, make it a practice to recognize their achievements.
People work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise, and rewards. – Dale Carnegie
5. Too much micromanagement / Lack of trust
One of the reasons why great employees quit is because of too much micromanagement.
They feel like there’s always a helicopter over their heads.
Remember, they are great employees and they can do their jobs excellently even with minimal supervision, and they can even do more if you just let them do the work.
If they feel like they are treated like children, they will start seeking a place where they can actually do more.
Trust your great employees that they can do the job because they will!
If employees feel you don’t trust them to do their jobs correctly and well, they’ll be reluctant to do much without your approval. On the other hand, when they feel trusted, that you believe they’ll do the right things well, they’ll naturally want to do things well and be deserving of your trust. – Mac Anderson
6. Lack of engagement
Seriously…
Engagement is a very important tool in entrepreneurship, and even much more important when you handle your employees.
When great employees feel that whom they work for are indifferent, they tend to feel neglected and unheard which can pose a challenge for them to continue what they are doing, and they would feel like they do not have a purpose.
Make them feel they are a part of your vision and engage them to be part of that great future.
Today, no leader can afford to be indifferent to the challenge of engaging employees in the work of creating the future. Engagement may have been optional in the past, but it’s pretty much the whole game today. – Gary Hamel
7. Lack of company direction or vision
Great employees know they have a direction and they too, have a vision for themselves.
If they notice that they are working for a company that does not have any direction or a future, they will feel that they are not the right fit for the company.
When the company does not have a clear direction or a vision of a great future, great employees would feel trapped and they would definitely leave the company.
Make sure your business is on the right track so your great employees will stay.
A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done. – Ralph Lauren
