If you've ever been in the situation where your best employee wants to leave the company, you know how difficult it can be. You'll likely be sitting there wondering what exactly happened.
Keeping your best team members on board is important to running a successful business and attracting better talent for future hires. Top employees quit their jobs for a handful of reasons, but more than likely, the reason for leaving has a lot to do with their current employer. Here are a few reasons why great employees tend to move on from their jobs.
1. Low Pay
This is the most obvious factor - money. Top talent demands a good price: if you aren't paying your employee what they think they are worth, or what other employers are offering, they will likely jump ship. Paying your employees at the right level is important to keeping them happy and staying with you. While certainly a big factor, this however is usually not the only reason you’ll lose your best talent.
2. No Growth
Employees who work hard and excel at their jobs are often the most driven individuals in your business. For this reason, if your employee doesn't feel like they are learning new skills or getting a chance to move up from their position, they will move to an employer who offers a more challenging work environment. Give as many learning and growth opportunities as you can to your best employees to help them continue to want work with you.
3. Lack of Purpose
Your employees might be losing some of the meaning and purpose behind the great work they have been doing. If this is the case, your employees will start to ask themselves if they are really spending their time on something meaningful. If the answer is mo, they will quickly find a new job that is.
4. Under Appreciation
Great employees need to feel valued and appreciated. If your employees feel like their work goes unnoticed, is not appreciated, or lacks value to the company, they will likely leave to find an employer who will provide those things. Under-appreciation can come in the form of poor communication or lack of positive feedback.
Many employers tell their employees that they will be in control of their time and they will have autonomy to do their work, only to end up and micro-managing them anyways. Employees need to feel trusted and free to do their own work in order to feel valued within their company.
5. Benefits and Perks
Employees who are motivated usually have a lot going on outside of work, so any perks that give them more free time, or any benefits that allow them to enjoy that time more, will go a long way to keeping your employees on board. Many modern companies are offering more unique benefits, so if you’re not following suit, you have a good chance of losing your best employees.
It's important to keep all these factors in mind when dealing with top talent within your business. If you keep your employees satisfied in these areas, you'll find your best team members stay longer, do better, and work harder to improve your business.
