Peter Quintana, of hgkc, is a strategic partner to BASDA working closely with the senior leadership team on topics covering building resilience, managing teams, leadership and building an innovation culture. His expertise in the field is renowned and BASDA is pleased to share some of his insights with our members in the first of four blogs covering topics that are pertinent for all businesses.

According to the ONS, approximately 391,000 people resigned from their jobs in third quarter of 2021. The pandemic has shifted our perception of normal, and therefore challenges our need to return to what we deemed normal before.

Research suggests that money is rarely the only reason people leave their jobs. What they want is flexibility and challenging and meaningful work. People want opportunities for career growth and learning and development. They want supportive management, respect, and recognition. They want fair pay too, but if you can create a great work environment that meets their needs, you will become the employer that everyone wants to work for, and nobody wants to leave.

5 Reasons People Leave Their Jobs

    • Hybrid working – employees want a more flexible work schedule. They want to be able to work from home as well as in the office. This allows them more freedom and can help boost morale.
    • Stress – if the job they are doing has a lot of pressure, employees can feel stressed and burned out. People want something challenging, but they also want to be able to enjoy their workplace. A stress inducing environment creates more problems and leads to reduced productivity and an increase in employee turnover.
    • They don’t belong – your employees may not fit in with their team or believe in your core company’s values. They may want to find something more meaningful that better suits their beliefs.
    • Something new – some people might get bored with the same work routine. They seek new opportunities, new things to learn and more progression in their job.
    • Relationship with their manager – not everyone is going to get along, however, sometimes an employee’s relationship with their manager is what compels them to leave their job. If the manager is making things difficult for their team, people will start looking for something better.

10 Reasons People Stay

  • Exciting and challenging work – a business can keep their employees by providing tasks that both excite and challenge their people.
  • Career growth – providing learning and development opportunities as well as chances for promotion will help your employees feel they are moving up and on the right path.
  • Strong working relationships – if you ensure that everyone is a team player and works hard, then people will want to work for you. Building a strong team allows for good communication and better working relationships.
  • Fair pay – if your employee feels like they are being paid what they deserve with opportunities for a raise or bonus, they will be more inclined to stay.
  • Supportive management – having a boss that supports their employee’s journey and one who encourages them to take new opportunities and responsibilities is essential for employee retention.
  • Recognition – acknowledging your employees’ hard work and recognising what they have done will help them feel valued and respected as part of your workforce.
  • Benefits – similar to their pay, the benefits a business offers can be the catalyst to whether an employee stays or goes.
  • Meaningful work – if someone feels like they are making a difference with what they do, they will want to keep doing it.
  • Pride in the organisation – if you can make your employees feel proud of their work, and you have strong values and mission, then, they will believe in your business.
  • Work environment – a strong work environment can be everything to your employee. Build a positive, collaborative, and creative work culture that allows your team to express themselves freely.

If you can identify the reasons that your employees are leaving your business, you can help to counteract them. Creating an environment where people don’t want to leave can be difficult but implementing strategies that help reduce stress, create meaningful work, and increase employee flexibility is a good starting point to improving employee satisfaction.

The reasons why people stay in a role are all related to how fulfilled they feel. Embracing a ‘stay’ mentality and working to create the work environment that people truly value, is a powerful way to boost your business’ performance and increase your employees’ morale.

We partner with Engagement Multiplier to offer an innovative and systematic way to measure and improve your employee’s engagement. Contact us to arrange a free trial to help you understand how your employees feel and find out why they are staying with you.

Interested to Find Out More?

hgkc is a consultancy providing expert advice and strategies that will help you lead better, innovate more, and exit with confidence towards your North Star. If any of our members would like to find out more why not visit the hgkc website, call 0117 332 1002 or email hello@hgkc.co.uk