Managers often attribute employee turnover to a variety of reasons, but they consistently overlook the crucial point: employees don't leave their jobs, they leave their managers. This is entirely preventable if managers adopt a new perspective and put in more effort. First, managers need to recognize nine of the worst actions that can cause top employees to leave.
1. EXHAUSTING EMPLOYEES
Nothing discourages top employees more than being overworked. It's understandable that managers want their best employees to work as much as possible. However, exhausting employees is unacceptable because it makes them feel like they are being "punished" for their good performance. Overwork is also counterproductive. A new study from Stanford University shows that hourly productivity drops sharply when employees work more than 50 hours per week, and if that number increases to 55 hours per week, productivity can plummet to the point where employees are unable to deliver any results.
If managers intend to delegate more responsibilities to their best employees, this should be accompanied by promotions. Talented employees are perfectly capable of handling a larger workload, but they won't stay with a company if they feel their work is draining them. Therefore, to increase employee workloads, managers can offer raises, promotions, or job titles. If managers simply delegate more work because those employees are skilled, but offer no additional benefits, those employees will eventually seek other jobs that offer better opportunities.
2. FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE CONTRIBUTIONS AND REWARD GOOD WORK RESULTS
Managers often underestimate the value of encouragement, especially with talented and truly dedicated employees. Everyone appreciates praise, including hard-working and dedicated individuals. Managers need to talk to their employees to find out what makes them feel good (for some, it's a compliment; for others, it's public recognition) and then reward them when they do well. With the best employees, managers will need to do this regularly.
3. LACK OF CONCERN FOR EMPLOYEES
More than half of those who quit their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. "Smart" companies ensure their managers know how to balance work and life. They are bosses who celebrate employee successes, empathize with struggling employees, and challenge them. Bosses who don't truly care about their employees will always have more employees leaving. No one can work for someone for more than eight hours a day when there's no connection and they don't care about anything other than the employee's performance.
4. FAILURE TO FULFILL COMMITMENTS
When you promise someone something, you're putting yourself in a position where: if you keep your promise, you'll make that person incredibly happy, but if you don't, you'll cause them to leave. When managers keep their promises, they become more reputable in the eyes of their employees because they've proven themselves trustworthy and respectable (two crucial qualities of a leader). But when managers disregard their commitments, they're seen as deceitful, heartless, and despicable. After all, if even the leader doesn't keep their promises, why should the employees?
5. HIRING AND PROMOTING THE WRONG PEOPLE
High-achieving and hard-working employees want to work with like-minded people. When managers don't make an effort to hire talented individuals, their employees feel "held back" when working with them. Promoting the wrong people is even worse. When you work hard but the opportunity for advancement goes to someone else, it's a huge insult. And that's certainly a reason why talented people leave.
6. DO NOT ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS
Talented employees are often passionate individuals. Therefore, creating opportunities for them to pursue their passions will improve productivity and work results. However, many managers want employees to work in a rigid manner. These managers fear that productivity will decrease if they allow employees to broaden their focus and pursue their passions. This fear is completely unfounded. Studies show that people who can pursue their passions at work have a more positive mood and are five times more productive than average.
7. FAILURE TO DEVELOP EMPLOYEE SKILLS
When managers are asked about their neglect of their employees, they often excuse themselves with words like "trust," "self-reliance," and "empowerment." This is completely absurd. Good managers do their job of managing regardless of how talented their employees are. They pay attention, listen consistently, and provide feedback to their employees.
Management may have a beginning, but it certainly has no end. When a manager has a talented employee, it is entirely up to the manager to continue identifying areas where the employee can improve and expand their skills. The more skilled the employee, the more they desire feedback from the manager, and it is the manager's job to maintain that feedback. If the manager fails to do this, even the best employees will become discouraged or complacent.
8. FAILURE TO STIMULATE EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY
The best employees are always looking for ways to improve everything they do. If managers stifle employees' ability to change and improve their work, because they are only comfortable with the status quo, this will make employees hate their jobs. Suppressing creativity not only creates barriers for employees but also for managers.
9. DO NOT CHALLENGE EMPLOYEES INTELLECTUALLY
Great bosses challenge employees to achieve things that initially seem impossible. Instead of setting mediocre goals, they set incredibly ambitious ones to push people beyond their comfort zones. Then, good managers will go to great lengths to help their employees achieve those goals. When talented and intelligent employees find things too easy or boring, they will seek out other tasks to challenge themselves.
10. CONCLUSION
If managers want to retain their best employees, they need to reconsider how they treat them. While top employees are tough and resilient, their talent is highly sought after. Therefore, the manager's task is to find a way to make those employees want to work for them.
Register as a member to receive priority access to the latest guides on accounting, taxation, business management, and work skills.
For further information, please see the other services offered by EXPERTIS.
- Professional accounting and tax services
- Auditing financial statements
