On the move again? The real reasons why staff resign

We know you’re a proactive and enthusiastic employee when seeking your next career opportunity, but does it seem like you’re regularly on the move from role to role and haven’t found a job that really ‘fits’ with what you’re looking for?

There is no such thing as a job for life anymore! In today’s job market, the average tenure is four years, while by 2020 the average length an employee will stay in each job will be a lean three years. If you look at this statistic over the period of a career, in the life of the current school leaver who starts part-time work at 18 years of age, it means that by the time they retire at 75, they will have worked for seventeen different employers.

While there is a trend in the media to discuss the increase of ‘job hopping’ by millennials (born between 1977-1997), there is a range of valid reasons why employees move to new roles more frequently nowadays, and the reasons are less complex than you might think.

Common reasons why employees want to move to ‘greener’ pastures when seeking employment include:

LACK OF OPPORTUNITY  

If an employee is career driven, it’s imperative that they know that there is future career opportunities within their company. If they feel like they’re in a ‘dead-end’ position with no prospect of growth or promotion, it’s unlikely that they’ll stay around for the long haul. People need room to grow and develop, and it’s important that all staff are nurtured with that focus in mind.

POOR RELATIONSHIP WITH A MANAGER

Sadly, a reason that staff leave a job is because of a bad relationship with their direct manager. The relationship you have with your boss has a pivotal impact on your working life; they can provide encouragement, support, direction and growth opportunities. After all, you will likely spend more time each day at work than at home!  If any of those elements are stifled, the employee becomes unmotivated, despondent and their commitment wanes. There is no need for your boss to become your best friend, however, if the relationship isn’t on an even keel, or if there is a lack of trust, a bad boss is unlikely to hold onto their employee for the long term.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Employees need to feel valued and good communication is an essential element of this.  Ensuring that people are aware of management decisions and discussions eliminates any need for assumptions and misinterpretations. It also makes staff feel that they are respected in their workplace. If good communication isn’t present, employees are likely to feel that their skills will be put to better use by an employer who respects and values their opinions, and seek career opportunities elsewhere.

In a survey conducted by Richard Lloyd Accounting Recruitment, 8.35% of job seekers were looking due to uncertain job security. This is all too often a direct result of poor communication. Employees should be confident at all times that there is no threat to their employment, a lack of ‘job security’ isn’t a message that should be conveyed. While in most cases the employee’s role and performance were not in question, communication typically around financial performance, restructures or M&A was poor which gave the impression that the individual’s position and career at the organisation was on shaky ground.

NEGATIVE CULTURE

The average full-time worker spends at least one-third of their day at work. If toxic relationships dominate that time, it’s likely it will control the remaining waking hours of an employee’s day too.  Good relationships within a team or office environment are one of the top points that employees list as a reason for loving their job. If these healthy relationships are absent, the emotional aspect takes over, and it becomes difficult to concentrate on your operational duties.

Richard Lloyd Accounting Recruitment is focused on working with companies that promote healthy working relationships and opportunities for employee growth and development. For a confidential discussion about your next career move or upcoming professional career opportunities please contact us on 02 8324 5640.