Why Good Employees Quit and How to Retain Them?

Once upon a time, there was a guy (let’s call him Ayaan) who joined a new company. Ayaan soon became a star employee, taking on projects like a pro and inspiring everyone around him. Ayaan was also loved by his colleagues and respected for his work ethic.

His manager (hitherto referred to as Mr Manager) couldn’t be more happier. Mr Manager had an excellent employee, “Well this is it, Ayaan is the answer to my prayers.” Everything was going smoothly and everyone was happy.

But good things don’t last long and so was the case when, out of the blue, Ayaan puts down his papers and decided to leave.

Mr Manager was at a loss. Ayaan looked happy, his work record had been excellent and there hadn’t been any friction between him and any other employee. So, why did he leave?

As it turns out, Mr Manager was so happy that he had taken a step back and let Ayaan take the reign. Mr Manager passed on the responsibility of work to Ayaan, and because he didn’t complain once, Mr. Manager assumed he was happy doing extra work.

He never asked Ayaan about his concerns and responsibilities, and consequently, he felt more like a tool than an employee prompting him to quit. And hence, people leave managers not companies.

Why Good Employees Quit?

Common sense dictates that most people leave a job when they get an offer with higher pay. There’s some truth to the sentence as pay is an integral part of an employee’s motivation at work.

Another popular opinion is that people quit because of their boss. But that’s just one reason why good employees quit. Good employees can also quit because of their job.

Allow me to explain. While it is understandable to assume that good employees quit because of bad managers or for higher pay, the argument doesn’t stand in case they like their job and responsibilities.

A good employee will be motivated to stay, bad boss and low pay withstanding, if their job goals align with their personal and career goals.

However, if their job responsibility makes them feel miserable, then you might as well keep the door open as you wait for the eventual resignation.

How to Retain Good Employees?

If you want to keep your star performers intact, it’s time to start paying more attention to the job they do.

Tip 1: Design Roles as Per Your Employees

Most companies design jobs and then hire relevant people to fill those positions. This has been the standard practice for a long time. It’s time to forego that approach and start thinking differently.

When you find a talented employee, create a job around him/her and not the other way around. This will allow you to frame roles and responsibilities of the position keeping employee’s strengths and weaknesses in mind.

Tip 2: Address Employee Concerns Unfailingly

Managers also need to be a better communicators and be open to ideas and criticism levied by the employee. If your employee doesn’t feel comfortable sharing his/her discomfort and problems due to work, you’re not doing your job correctly. An unaddressed concern causes resentment and misery, which eventually leads to the employee walking out.

It is important for you to conduct either an open or a private dialogue periodically where your employees can share their concerns and problems. This gives you the ability to address their problems, resolve them and keep your good employees satisfied.

If the employee is uncomfortable talking about it, you can use a human resource management software like Mentis, where employees can submit their concerns easily, in written form.

Mentis has a dedicated employee module where employees can enter their concerns and feedback for their managers to view. It is easy to use and access, making it simpler for employees to provide feedback, without hassle.

Tip 3: Stop Being a Micromanager

A talented employee, with a penchant for their job, will not appreciate a manager who’s always on their tail. You need to stop being a micromanager. A micromanaging boss creates uncertainty and stress due to their constant input, causing employees to lose interest.

Let employees do their thing but, unlike Y from the example above, discuss their work occasionally and add inputs when it’s necessary. You need to carefully tread the line between being an annoyance and being too lax and uninvolved.

Tip 4: Conduct Training sessions Regularly

Lastly, talented employees are more motivated to expand their skills. If their work doesn’t let them pursue their goals, it creates a deterrence. When you interact with your employees, you will be able to better understand the skills they wish to acquire on the job.

Subsequently, you can conduct training sessions where employees get to work on their skills and maybe learn one or two new things. Conducting training sessions is a lot simpler with Mentis human resource management software, as it comes with integrated training modules.

The module contains features that can create and manage training courses and topics, record training attendance, and generate training reports. This human resource management solution can be used to create training plans, manage training needs, collect and store employee feedback, and create and monitor training budgets.

Mentis human resource management software handles the entirety of training management with complete ease.

The art of retaining good employees isn’t that difficult. With a careful balance of receptive listening, value-addition, and empowerment, you can make sure that your star employees continue working at your company and be valuable assets.

Related Categories: HR Software | Payroll Management Software | Attendance Management Software | Leave Management Software | Recruitment Management Software