Unfortunately for organisations, employee turnover is both costly and unavoidable. In addition, the recruitment and onboarding of suitable replacements often entails considerable work for HR departments. While there is no universally accepted ‘ideal’ or ‘optimum’ staff turnover rate; organisations that exceed the UK average figure of 15% per year are advised to investigate why their employees are leaving.
With that in mind, here are eight frequently recurring reasons why employees may be heading for the exit:
‘I Need a New Challenge’ – A popular explanation provided by employees when handing in their notice, particularly among those who have been with a company for over five years. It’s all a matter of preference at the end of the day; many people become content with their routine while others shudder at the thought of doing the same thing every day for 10 or 20 years.
A Lack of Job Satisfaction – Another instance that depends heavily on individual perception. How do you define ‘job satisfaction’? Generally, employees who find their roles interesting, challenging and enjoyable are unlikely to leave.
Unmet Personal & Professional Needs – Taking into account personal needs first, many employees will look to leave an organisation in order to improve their work/life balance. In a bid to retain their personnel, a growing number of UK-based employers are introducing flexi-time initiatives and remote working opportunities. On a professional level, career progression and self-actualisation can be key motivators. Workers who find themselves ‘reaching a ceiling’ with little room for advancement and no training and development opportunities will look elsewhere to fulfil their potential.
Personality Clashes – You spend a lot of time at work with your colleagues so it helps to get along. A warm, friendly workplace environment with good conversation and high levels of collaboration can make all the difference. Alternatively, personality clashes between co-workers can be a ticking time bomb, often ending with one or more of the involved parties leaving the organisation.
Managerial Discrepancies – Employees may also seek to leave if they feel that they aren’t being managed appropriately by their supervisors. Managers come in all shapes and sizes, often with highly contrasting approaches to getting the best out of their staff. It is often a case of employees either being under-managed by Laissez-Fair disciples or over-managed by autocratic disciplinarians!
Undervalued & Overworked – If employees are under the impression that their hard work isn’t being recognised, they will soon become disillusioned. Morale will also take a hit if the reward for good work is more work! In addition, before they inevitably head for the exit, overworked employees are also more susceptible to stress and burnout.
Money, Money, Money – While the allure of more money for similar work can be difficult to ignore; the influence of pay and other financial incentives on employee turnover throughout the UK appears to be waning. The contemporary, millennial dominated workforce tends to place more emphasis on flexible working opportunities and career progression to name but a few alternative desirables.
Daily Commute – Trapped for hours on end in traffic, multiple busses, a stray elbow on the train; oh yes, a troublesome daily commute could soon see even the most content of employees seeking pastures new!
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Our dynamic human resource management software contains over 20 standard views, delivering a comprehensive overview of company personnel. Create detailed employee records comprising of: personal details, employment history, appraisal information, qualifications, absences and any previous disciplinary incidents. In addition, all training and development activities and new starter inductions can be managed effectively utilising our innovative Training, Skills and Resource Matrix and New Starter Wizard respectively.
Furthermore, our intelligent time and attendance solutions enable organisations to coordinate contrasting shift patterns and flexi-time balances. Remote clocking and employee activity tracking features are also available to monitor employees working off-site.
If you would like to learn more about Ceequel®, please contact ELF Productivity. A range of brochures are also available to download from our website, click here to view our downloads section.