There are many reasons why employees leave a company, but what all of these reasons essentially boil down to are poor management, motivation, or organizational structure. As employers, we are often quick to ask “What is wrong with the employee to make them leave?” when we really should be taking a long, hard look at ourselves, our management, and our organizational vision.
Whether an employee from the top 1% or the lowest level of the company leaves, it is always important to perform an exit interview and gain a full understanding of their reasoning for leaving. What you’ll usually find is that the employee feels under-stimulated, underutilized, or unclear about the direction of the company. When you start to see your top performers leaving your organization, it is time to evaluate the direction of the company and the managers overseeing these exiting employees. More importantly, you must maintain a clear vision & direction and be sure it is communicated to employees at all times to avoid losing them.
Check out the article “Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail to Keep Their Best Talent” by Forbes blogger Eric Jackson: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2011/12/14/top-ten-reasons-why-large-companies-fail-to-keep-their-best-talent/. With close to two million views, this article clearly resonates with many professionals. While it mostly pertains to larger organizations, Jackson’s message can easily be applied to smaller companies as well.
Have you ever left an organization voluntarily? What was your reasoning??? Ad-VANCE is interested to hear you feedback!