Whenever an employee leaves an organization, there are a number of costs incurred to facilitate the sourcing and onboarding of the coming employee. Recruitment can be an expensive process, from sourcing the recruiting agency to sending out advertisements. It can be costly not to mention the loss in productivity during the job search. Understanding why employees leave is therefore important as it enables organizations to facilitate a conducive environment and foster a relationship that works for the organization and the employee.
So why do employees leave? Let us start by understanding what most employees expect when working in an organization. According to Leigh Branham, author of The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave. Employees need four things:
- Need to feel proficient – Meaning employees would like responsibilities that align well with their talents.
- Need to feel trusted – Employees expect open and honest communication from their line managers and colleagues as well.
- Need to feel a sense of worth – Employees would like to feel their work and their efforts are contributing positively to the organization. They would also like to be recognized for their efforts.
- Need to have hope – Employees would like to be given opportunities to hone their skills and advance their careers.
With this in mind, it might be safe to say that if these four general needs are not being met, the employee is likely to leave. If they do not leave then the employee might disengage and productivity goes down.
Among millennials, there are three reasons why employees of this generation leave. One of these reasons is the need for flexible working hours. 70% of millennials have considered leaving a job in favour of flexible hours.
The second reason is remote jobs. Millennials especially those in the tech or digital space are increasingly leaving their office jobs in favour of remote jobs.
Lastly, the conversation around mental health has intensified and Millenials state that they are more likely to be loyal to an organization with a good culture and they do not feel their mental health compromised.
