In our industry, lower pay and obscure hours are often blamed for staff turnover, but are we looking in the wrong direction?
The Kelly Global Workforce Index surveyed more than 134,000 people in 29 countries (including more than 20,000 in Australia) and established the following top five reasons why employees leave their jobs - and suggestions on how to avoid it.
1. Negative relationship with direct manager.
When an employee feels unrecognised and unappreciated by their manager, it is unlikely they will be motivated to perform at a high standard or feel compelled to stay. Training managers in the skills required to engage and motivate a team can make a significant difference.
2. There is little hope for career advancement or growth.
Managers should work with their team to understand career expectations and where possible design a clear, step by step development path to achieve these goals. Don’t over promise in this area, because not delivering an agreed promise can quickly lead to an employee becoming disengaged.
3. The reality of a role does not match what was promised during the recruitment process.
If an employee believes they received an unrealistic or incorrect job description when they applied for their position, they quickly develop a general lack of trust in their employer. Employers must ensure they provide a detailed and accurate description of the job throughout the entire recruitment process, from ad placement to interview and all touch points in between.
4. Employees are overworked and stressed out.
It's no surprise that many employees feel they are under-appreciated with little respect for their work/life balance. Ultimately, doing your bit to ensure a balanced life for your staff will lead to a healthier and more productive workforce.
5. Employees feel a lack of coaching/mentoring from their employers.
When one-on-one interaction is not provided, team members can quickly lose direction and feel unappreciated. Managers need to ensure they regularly acknowledge both negative and positive performance. Setting aside regular times to engage with employees is vital.
Obviously checking all the boxes above doesn't guarantee zero turnover, but it does highlight the fact that maintaining an actively engaged and productive team goes beyond remuneration.
When hiring, don't just consider whether a candidate can do the job, but whether that person shows the potential to warrant an ongoing investment of your time, training and consideration.