The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave

Book Review by Tabitha Woods

No one likes to talk about why employees leave. Most companies give people a cursory exit interview if they give one at all, and almost no one actively tracks exit responses of departing employees. We usually believe exiting employees when they say that they are leaving because of a better opportunity, or more money . . . but what if they are lying to us when they leave?

They just might be. Recently, I had the opportunity to read The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave by Leigh Branham. In his book, Mr. Branham observes a survey which states that “89 percent of managers said they believe that employees leave and stay mostly for the money.” However, Branham’s own research as well as other studies that have been done on this topic show that “80-90% of employees leave for reasons related NOT to money, but to the job, the manager, the culture or the work environment”. Wow. These are all internal reasons that can be addressed and improved. So what is a company to do if their exiting employees are not telling them the truth about their reasons for leaving?

Disengagement

The first issue that needs to be noted and addressed in any organization is disengagement. Any HR manager will tell you that employees disengage before they quit. Even worse, when disengaged employees stay, their production suffers, and they can affect the morale of their teams as well as customer perception. In his book, Branham refers to a study by the Gallup Organization that indicates U.S. workers may be more disengaged than we thought. The study indicated that a full 75% of U.S. workers are disengaged to some degree in their jobs. Clearly, no one is immune to the perils of costly employee disengagement, but Branham details 54 practices to help engage employees and keep them bonded to your organization.

The 7 Deadly Reasons

The next step in lowering your employee turnover is to understand the top seven reasons people choose to leave, and identify which ones are an issue in your organization. Branham breaks them down as follows:

Reason #1 The Job or Workplace Was Not as Expected

Reason #2 The Mismatch Between Job and Person

Reason #3 Too Little Coaching or Feedback

Reason #4 Too Few Growth and Advancement Opportunities

Reason #5 Feeling Devalued and Unrecognized

Reason #6 Stress from Overwork and Work-Life Imbalance

Reason #7 Loss of Trust or Confidence in Senior Leaders

Branham goes over each of these reasons and breaks down the intricacies and causes of each one. He skillfully delves into the psychology of loyalty, the importance of being valued, and engagement. Most importantly, he brings practical suggestions for change and has structured the book so that you can skip around and build a plan based on the needs in your company. He has done a great job of gathering data, interpreting that data, and translating it into useful information and tools for retention. This book is a must-read.

The current recession has been an eye-opener for all of us. In fact, it seems a bit counter-intuitive to focus on retention during world-wide recession. Eventually, though, the economy will get better, and at that point, talent will be a deeper commodity for businesses than it has ever been. If you haven’t already, it is time to start building a reputation as a great company to work for. Take the time now to build a culture that supports employee success and retention, and you will not only keep the key talent that has remained at your company during this economy, but attract additional top-tier talent when the recovery begins. Position your team now for high engagement and employee loyalty, and you will be ahead of the pack when the momentum of economic recovery ramps up.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at twoods@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.