Employees are a company's greatest asset - they're your competitive advantage. You want to attract and retain the best; provide them with encouragement, stimulus, and make them feel that they are an integral part of the company's mission. - Anne M. Mulcahy

Source: PixaBay

Most managers and company leaders think that their employees are their greatest assest, but their actions do not really show it. There is a dire need for them to go out of their way to express and make their employees feel valued, after all they are the backbone of their businesses. However we can't deny the fact that people leave companies every now and then, in fact some studies show that most people especially the millenials leave a company in an average of every 2 years. This is already an alarming rate, and goes to show that the satisfaction rate of most employees are in an all-time low.

So what makes good employees quit? When a company loses a top performer, it is a big loss to the company in a lot of areas. And we can also say that there is some truth to the saying that "people don't leave companies, they leave their managers". But as always, there are a lot of things that really add up to an employee's decision to hand over their resignations, which could have been easily prevented had managers and business leaders made an extra effort to keep their employees. Allow me to discuss a few things that may lead to this or worse to burnout.

Source: PixaBay

They Overwork People

Top performers are employees who add great value to a company. They will always stand out wherever you put them. In short, they get things done. It is always tempting to overwork them since they get more things done in such a short span of time and they are very effective and efficient. But from the employees' perspective, it will only make them feel punished of their great performance by assigning them a bigger workload.

In extreme cases, we see every now and then people who died from overwork. Though the cases may seemed very minor, still, if we take a good hard look at this, our employees are always at a greater risk when overworked. Not only will they suffer health problems such as fatigue, stress, even highblood and cardiovascular diseases, but also it also cause a strain on their personal relationships. If we really value them, then let's aim to give them the break that they deserved. Give them the entire weekend and limit overtimes as much as possible.

Source: Your Story

However, there are cases when this can't be avoided. Under such cases, it is always a great way to compensate for this bigger work load through raises and promotions. Though not everyone likes the recognition, still a bonus and a salary increase is always appreciated. And also note that overtimes should not be a rule to be enforced but an option.

They Don’t Recognize Contributions and Reward Good Work

Not every wants to be recognized for their work, others don't want the spotlight at all. While some aims to climb the corporate ladder; some worked so hard just to be recognized. Since it's not the same for everyone, managers should find a way to communicate with their employees and figure out what makes them tick. And once you have them, we can then plan accordingly on how we can keep our best talents.

It's one thing not to be rewarded for your work, and another when people who doesn't even deserve it gets all the credit. This is a major blow to your top performers. As managers, we should find a way to give credit when credit is due. Again it doesn't have to be a raise or a promotion, but expect that your employees will expect something from you. Once you have built a strong and solid relationship with your employees, you should be able to effectively address the different needs of every employee.

Source: PixaBay

They Don’t Care about Their Employees

It is impossible to work for a company if one thinks that the company doesn't care for their employees. This is a critical factor why good employees leave organizations. If employees only see themselves as robots who do the work for you, don't expect them to last. You will only be receiving nothing but a mediocre kind of work. As much as possible, let's show our employees that we value and care for them. Lend an ear and listen to their opinions and make sure that they are heard. Show them that you also value their time as much as you value yours.

For business leaders and manager, remember that we don't need grand gestures, little thing do matter. And most important of all is to be real and transparent. Though it is important to establish boundaries, it's always a good thing to also show that you are there for your employees. Beyond the job titles, is also a friend. Do things that make you unforgettable. We've seen a lot of people who rant about their employers behind their back, so make sure that you leave a good impression. Regardless if they leave or not, they will also keep a good word about you and the company that you lead.

Source: Little Ways to Show You Care

They Don’t Let People Pursue Their Passions

Google popularized this idea called Passion Projects. Basically what they did is give 20% of the working hours for their employees to pursue their so-called passion projects. It gave them the opportunity to work on projects outside of work. The effect is that their employees are more innovative and creative. This Google's way of increasing their employee's productivity and so far it's working great for them.

Most companies have very strict rules regarding the usage of company resources. Rules are enforced to make the employees work 8 hours a day in their little boxes, and are expected not to make use of the company resources for personal and other non-work related activies. The effect of this is that employees are forced to work on their passion projects outside of working hours. Some even work longer hours on their side-jobs compared to their regular job, that oftentimes also affects their productivity in doing both work.

Source: PixaBay

Companies should learn that a happy employee will always bring better results. If they are satisfied and comfortable with the company setup, rest assured that in turn they will give their best.

They Don't Know What They Are Doing

Employees always look up to their leaders for guidance. But if the managers or leaders don't know what they're doing, the best employees are always the first one to go as they have the most opportunities to pursue. As business leaders we should already have specific goal in mind on what you are trying to achieve. Every decision that we make should move us towards that common goal.

As managers, we don't have to know every detail of our employee's job but we should know enough to be able to guide them. This is important because all of want to work with the best company, and with the best people. So let us show our employees that we are really committed to your goal and that we find ways to make this a reality.

Source: PixaBay

These are just few things that make good employees leave. But if managers and business leaders will see the problems listed above, I hope that they will have an open mind to make adjustments for the greater good. If we keep our employees happy,we also reap the rewards. We can't force our employees to stay and work for us, but we always have the choice to make their stay worthwhile.

Happy Wondering!
:)