Dan Charney [1] managing partner of U.S. Direct Recruiters Inc. provides the following reasons why employees quit:

1. The role was not what was expected; the actual job was not what was promised at the interview creating mistrust in the organisation.
2. Work/life pressure; when organisations restructure employees may be called upon to take on work previously done by others leading to longer hours/weekend work. Employees may be forced to choose between their personal life and the job.
3. Mismatch between person and job; managers may like a certain candidate but they are not qualified, or perhaps do not fit the organisation’s culture.
4. Wage/promotion freezes; uncompetitive remuneration creates pressure for employees to look for better offers.
5. Feeling undervalued; employees want to be recognized and praised for a job well done.
6. Few decision-making opportunities; Employees appreciate being given latitude to do their jobs and to have trust placed in them.
7. Minimal coaching and feedback; Giving and receiving honest feedback is essential for growth and building successful teams and organisations.
8. Managers lacking people skills; managers should possess an ability to relate with and motivate employees.
9. Minimal growth opportunities; lack of challenges, and poor potential for career growth, are common reasons that employees cite for leaving an organisation. It is therefore important to find ways of helping employees to develop new skills and responsibilities in their current positions.
10. Loss of faith/confidence in leaders; when employees are not treated equitably and not rewarded as profits and workloads increase they will feel like leaving the organisation.

[1] R10709 Charney, D., (2008), Top 10 Reasons Good Employees Quit, Material Handling Management, Vol 63, Iss 10, pp 48-49, Penton Business Media, Inc., New York

Neil Crawford
BPIR