9 Things That Make Good Employees Quit

Great points by Travis Bradberry!

Managers tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun, while ignoring the crux of the matter: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.

1. They Overwork People
Nothing burns good employees out quite like overworking them. It’s so tempting to work your best people hard that managers frequently fall into this trap. Overworking good employees is perplexing; it makes them feel as if they’re being punished for great performance. Overworking employees is also counterproductive. New research from Stanford shows that productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that you don’t get anything out of working more.

2. They Don’t Recognize Contributions and Reward Good Work
It’s easy to underestimate the power of a pat on the back, especially with top performers who are intrinsically motivated. Everyone likes kudos, none more so than those who work hard and give their all. Managers need to communicate with their people to find out what makes them feel good (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done. With top performers, this will happen often if you’re doing it right.

3. They Don’t Care about Their Employees
More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain their managers know how to balance being professional with being human. These are the bosses who celebrate an employee’s success, empathize with those going through hard times, and challenge people, even when it hurts. Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates. It’s impossible to work for someone eight-plus hours a day when they aren’t personally involved and don’t care about anything other than your production yield.

4. They Don’t Honor Their Commitments
Making promises to people places you on the fine line that lies between making them very happy and watching them walk out the door. When you uphold a commitment, you grow in the eyes of your employees because you prove yourself to be trustworthy and honorable (two very important qualities in a boss). But when you disregard your commitment, you come across as slimy, uncaring, and disrespectful. After all, if the boss doesn’t honor his or her commitments, why should everyone else?

5. They Hire and Promote the Wrong People
Good, hard-working employees want to work with like-minded professionals. When managers don’t do the hard work of hiring good people, it’s a major demotivator for those stuck working alongside them. Promoting the wrong people is even worse. When you work your tail off only to get passed over for a promotion that’s given to someone who glad-handed their way to the top, it’s a massive insult. No wonder it makes good people leave.

6. They Don’t Let People Pursue Their Passions
Talented employees are passionate. Providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions improves their productivity and job satisfaction. But many managers want people to work within a little box. These managers fear that productivity will decline if they let people expand their focus and pursue their passions. This fear is unfounded. Studies show that people who are able to pursue their passions at work experience flow, a euphoric state of mind that is five times more productive than the norm.

7. They Fail to Develop People’s Skills
When managers are asked about their inattention to employees, they try to excuse themselves, using words such as “trust,” “autonomy,” and “empowerment.” This is complete nonsense. Good managers manage, no matter how talented the employee. They pay attention and are constantly listening and giving feedback.

8. They Fail to Engage Their Creativity
The most talented employees seek to improve everything they touch. If you take away their ability to change and improve things because you’re only comfortable with the status quo, this makes them hate their jobs. Caging up this innate desire to create not only limits them, it limits you.

9. They Fail to Challenge People Intellectually
Great bosses challenge their employees to accomplish things that seem inconceivable at first. Instead of setting mundane, incremental goals, they set lofty goals that push people out of their comfort zones. Then, good managers do everything in their power to help them succeed. When talented and intelligent people find themselves doing things that are too easy or boring, they seek other jobs that will challenge their intellects.

Bringing It All Together
If you want your best people to stay, you need to think carefully about how you treat them. While good employees are as tough as nails, their talent gives them an abundance of options. You need to make them want to work for you.

 

I wish Biohazard would live and teach this to management. There are some good managers, but they tend to leave for better opportunities.

 

Just look at KH and the drones he hires. Good internal hires, who know the business, are passed up for parrots who say and do as KH says. KH and minions have high turnover, poor morale and low sales numbers.

 

I love my manager.

 

Comp plan

 

How many of us have had our quarterly meetings with the director of employee retention and engagement? How about your meeting with HR and your manager to discuss your long term goals with BV? Still confused, well how about that monthly report that your DOS has filled out to show he/she/it is doing something and what that something is specifically to develop a new skill of each member of his team. Companies have a duty to develop new skills and abilities in their employees to the extent that the employees could find a better job the next day. Companies need to foster an a atmosphere of engagement so employees never want to leave.
What kind of company do you feel is BV? Of course, in the ideal BV world of 2 and out, none of this matters.

 

I don't know about the sales org but none of those nine points reflect the Durham office. 12th year with S&N and BV. Great company and very attentive to employee development and rewards.

 

Really? Ive been here for little over 5 yrs and there is a lot of turnover throughout co., even Durham.

 

Leave the comfort of the corporate office and you’ll see a different picture. Have you not seen the score card that points out 25% or more turnover? I can name 15+ people without trying that have left since the end of 2016. It’s truely unfortunate.

 

Where are the 360 reviews on Directors from reps and AVPs from Directors? Bottom up feedback is Phenomenal.

 

None of this really matters as the company considers a "certified sauna consultant, a restaurant hostess, a pizza delivery guy, a au pair and a used car salesman as qualifying work experience to sell our medical device. Whatever happened to "medical device sales experience" as a qualification for a BV sales job. Oh that's right, those people would see through the BS from BV. Have trained more sales classes than I can count and the talent pool isn't even a bird bath.

 

My DoS did a start, stop, continue at our NSM. I think this is the 360 you may be requesting.

 

She did it on me. She started to, stopped for a second to catch her breath and then continued to tell me how awesome I am!

 

Ok, so you how many times since the NSM have you met with your DOS/HR and director of retention and engagement to follow up on what your DOS discussed with you at the NSM. I'm guessing zero. I don't blame you. It's not reflection on the employee but a telling sign of corporate indifference and a culture that fails to develop its people. That's how people like KH can stay employed here. JN, you want to create greatness at BV, lose KH, and while you're at it, all VP's. You need to change the culture at the top. Develop your employees. That may mean hiring people who actually have ability in the medical device field. But, I know I'm asking too much. Thank god for side gigs and my DOS Who is more focused on trying to sleep with reps than manage.

 

This company does not give 2 $hits concerning employees. Low pay, "what have you done for me?" attitude, NSM during the weekend while having the gull to ask what is your WHY? (My family who you're taking me away from! Missing daughter's gymnastic tournament!), false promises, etc. Go eat a chocolate kip cookie!

 

Most of the mgrs under KH are not. Good mgr wouldn't put up w his $hit. B from Chi-town left because of him. KH likes to boss little girls around who r 2 afraid 2 stand up 2 him. Anger they feel gets transferred to reps - JF lost over 4 reps this year.

 

JF?