Office Culture: What’s Making Good Employees Quit Their Jobs?
When it comes to employee appreciation, there are some companies that treat their employees very well and there are some who don’t treat their employees well.
It’s the companies that don’t treat their employees very well that experience major turnover rates. When companies experience high turnovers, it should be a sign to them that something isn’t right and a change needs to happen.
When employees aren’t happy, it makes the entire team morale decrease and employee performance is just at an all-time low. So when these instances happen, whether you’re a manager or team leader, it’s up to you to find out the reason why.
So one of the questions you want to find the answer to is what’s making employees stay when they seem to be so unhappy?
The Harvard Business Review states that employees stay even when they’re unhappy because they can’t afford to leave the company or because they don’t have another job lined up.
Okay, if that’s the case, then the real question you will want the answer to is what’s making good employees quit their jobs?
A good employee is a huge asset to any company and to lose one could negatively impact a department in a huge way. That’s why it’s so important to invest in your employees.
You’ve already invested in them by hiring them… why not continue investing in them to keep them? If you’re a business owner, manager, or department head, take a look at the reasons why good employees tend to quit their jobs.
Not Being Shown Any Appreciation or Recognition
Let’s just put this out there, everyone is adults and doesn’t need a pat on the back or gold star every time they do something right, which is essentially, doing their job.
Employees aren’t quitting because of that… they’re quitting because they don’t feel appreciated for the work they do.
This lack of appreciation comes in many forms too, which include:
- Being underpaid
- Complaints that don’t get attention or resolutions
- No positive feedback
- Broken promises of growth or pay raises
- Positive suggestions that get ignored
You, of course, want to show employee appreciation in big ways a few times out of the year but employees also appreciate the small things too. If a certain department met their goal for the week, that team leader could give their team members “office swag.”
Office swag is things like pens, stress balls, and sticky notes with the company logo on them. Employees appreciate things like that because it makes them feel like they’re part of a team.
No Growth and Development Opportunities
One of the biggest qualities that applicants look for in a new company is growth and advancement opportunities.
There are people who are just as content with their jobs and don’t want anything to change in their positions but for the most part, employees want to earn more money, learn new systems, and climb that corporate ladder to see how far they can go.
When a company doesn’t present those opportunities, it makes the employee feel hopeless because they know that if they stay, they will forever be doing the same thing they’ve been doing and knowing that can make anyone not want to stick around.
Toxic Work Environment
Trying to work in a toxic work environment can be very unhealthy and can greatly decrease productivity.
Regardless of how many perks, benefits, or rewards a company may offer, if an employee is in a toxic work environment, they’re not going to care about any of that stuff because they can’t focus.
A toxic work environment can take a huge toll on your mental health as well. It can have a negative effect on how you look at your job and your position and make you question your job security (which is the very thing that makes people think they’d be much happier at a different company… and that’s the last thing you want.
There are many different ways to create a great team culture and environment where everyone can work in a positive office space.
No Work-Life Balance
A lot of times, jobs say leave your home issues at home before you come in the office. But it doesn’t always work out the same way when you go home at the end of the day and can’t get out of work mode because you have an immense amount of pressure and stress on you.
If you have to leave home at home when you go to work, you should be able to leave work at work when you get home. Good employees who experience a work-life imbalance can and will quit.