" alt="">11.02.2016
Do One Third of Your Staff Want to Leave?
Each new year employees resolve to leave their job, here we look at why and how employers can prevent it.
According to job search website Monster, the first Wednesday of every year is the most popular day for people in the UK to start looking for a new job. Monster believes this is because during December “your career is not at the forefront of your mind because you’re racing around with holiday plans and functions”.
I think that probably holds true for many people. The end of the year is traditionally a time to take stock of the last twelve months and resolve to make positive changes in your life; which often include your work.
I’ve seen a number of surveys in the last few weeks that reinforce this, each suggesting where people feel they are not being challenged, are bored with their work, or want to increase their salary, they will begin to look for a new role in January.
According to website CareerBuilder, 30% of us expect to have a new job by the end of the year. Investment and savings specialist Standard Life claims that 54% of British workers – rising to 73% of 25 to 34 year olds – are currently searching.
The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) discovered that out of almost 2,000 people they interviewed, one third plan to leave their current job in 2016. Perhaps most revealing, they studied the reasons behind the decision to leave and, for the second year running, a lack of progression (26%) is the number one cause; followed by a lack of appreciation (17%); a desire to change career (17%); better salary (15%); and to simply be happier (12%).
If this research holds true, it’s quite a foreboding thought for many North East businesses that are gearing up for growth and what they hope will be a positive year.
The best people in any business have ambition and as the UK comes out of recession, job security remains one of the most important factors in job satisfaction. If you can offer stability alongside a career path with training and support, by highlighting the opportunities available and ensuring staff can see how achievement and hard work will be recognised, you will begin to address a number of the most common concerns.
People’s motivations have changed. Today’s employees want to feel like they are making a difference. They need a sense of purpose and a clearly defined direction so they can understand what it is they are working towards; whether that’s building a business, helping other people, achieving a specific goal or reaching the next stage of their career.
The quality of a working environment has a major impact on our enjoyment level, so try to make yours fun. Be flexible, as in the modern workplace it’s much less about the business defining an individual and more about individuals defining the business.
People have lives outside of work, so by helping them to achieve a healthy balance you can keep them motivated and happy. It’s also beneficial to address any workplace anxieties and fears that staff may have. Often people dislike public speaking, making cold calls, networking or staying away overnight with work, but you will never fix a problem if you don’t know what it is.
Good communication is key. Take a look at your team’s individual roles and have a chat with them about what they enjoy, and what they don’t. Often small things can have a big impact on how somebody is feeling. If you can identify their fears and help them to overcome them, then you can alleviate a lot of their problems.
Of course, you may well be doing all of these things already, which means you’ll be the company all of the people want to move to, but if you’re not, now would be the perfect time to start and become proactive, making some changes that might just get your staff back on side.
