Why Employees Resign

In a recent meeting of HR Managers, we discussed the top 5 reasons why employees are resigning, based on our exit interviews. So here are the collated top 5 reasons why employees resign, in our case, those holding critical positions.

1. There is an opportunity abroad
2. They were offered a job that is a notch higher from their present job
3. Bad relationships (boss and co-workers)
4. Too much stress
5. Better pay

We tried to benchmark our findings with similar industry, the closest we can compare with is the top 10 reasons below, according to Susan Heathfield:

1. Your company is experiencing a downward spiral.
2. Your relationship with your manager is damaged beyond repair.
3. Your life situation has changed.
4. Your values are at odds with the corporate culture.
5. You’ve stopped having fun and enjoying your job.
6. Your company is ethically challenged.
7. For whatever reason, you have behaved in ways that are considered improper at work.
8. You’ve burned your bridges with your coworkers.
9. Your stress level is so high at work that it is affecting your physical or mental health and your relationships with your friends and family.
10. And the top ten reason to quit your job? You are unchallenged, need more responsibility, and seek opportunities that just don’t exist for you in your current organisation. You’ve explored the current and potential options, and they are limited. It’s time to quit your job.

Feel free to read the expanded version at about.com.

Likewise, this article written by Darwin for  HR Philippines blog longtime ago, speaks of another dimension on why employee still resigns, despite of HR efforts.

Here is something I have got thru my network. I believe that people like us involved in HR particularly sourcing and recruitment would get a better understanding after reading the article below regarding the undesired attritions in our respective companies. – Darwin B. Rivers

 

WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANIZATIONS/COMPANYS?

 

Every company faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile. Early this year, Mark, a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialised software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food. Twice Mark was sent abroad for training. “My learning curve is the sharpest it’s ever been,” he said soon after he joined. Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Mark walked out of the job. Why did this talented employee leave ?

 

Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away. The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organisation. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called “First Break All The Rules”. It came up with this surprising finding: If you’re losing good people, look to their manager …. manager is the reason people stay and thrive in an organisation. And he ‘s the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge, experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition. “People leave managers not companies ,” write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. Mostly manager drives people away? HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he looks for another job. When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information. Dev says: “If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don ‘t have your heart and soul in the job.” Different managers can stress out employees in different ways – by being too controlling, too suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit – often over a trivial issue. Talented men leave. Dead wood doesn’t.

 

Do you find the reasons reflective of your organisations turn-over situation?

Feel free to add more reasons, perhaps with these info, HR will be able to formulate a program to keep employees engaged.