Knowledge Resource Centre

The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognise the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late

Leigh Branham

The vast majority of managers believe that employees leave due to fresh, enticing pastures anew and that, try as they may, they are fighting against strong ‘pull factors’, drawing their talented employees away to new companies. In fact, as Leigh Branham reviews here, a Saratoga Institute study of over 19,000 employees shows that it is ‘push factors’ (hidden reasons inside companies) that are forcing employees out.

The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave sets about explaining this conflict of understanding and helping managers to see the signs of employee dissatisfaction before they become critical. Branham also shows why it is so important to care about employee retention, discussing the benefits including increased productivity, safety records and customer ratings. The wider and long-term significance of employee retention to business culture is also explored. Branham sketches out a talent shortage in the coming years, as the post-war baby boom generation retires. He suggests that businesses will be looking at staff retention as a major issue, and that the importance of an engaged workforce will become more and more relevant.

In addition to illuminating the signs and exploring the dangers of inaction, Branham puts forward over fifty practices for HR managers to address such issues, turn around conditions, and boost staff retention and satisfaction. The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave is therefore a useful guide, not only for detecting and understanding problems, but implementing useful ideas for change too.

After the initial discussion of the “subtle signs”, each subsequent chapter is divided into three areas, taking one of the seven hidden reasons and explaining it, providing data to support it (in the form of surveys and exit interviews), and summarising the best practices to act upon it. In this way, each chapter is like a reference guide: if the employer knows the reasons employees are leaving, he or she can quickly find relevant and practical solutions to address those reasons. The seven hidden reasons discussed are:
 

1. The job or workplace was not as expected
2. The mismatch between job and person
3. Too little coaching and feedback
4. Too few growth and advancement opportunities
5. Feeling devalued and unrecognised
6. Stress from overwork and work-life imbalance
7. Loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders

This book provides ample evidence, thorough discussion and a comprehensive guide and checklist for understanding and realising the benefits of employee retention. It is not a cover-to-cover, non-stop read, but a dip-into reference of practical help. Instead of radical and challenging concepts, it discusses issues that will resonate with all business leaders wishing to understand why employees leave. Importantly, it clearly demonstrates why, now more than ever, leaders who want their business to succeed must know how to retain the talent and their employees effectively.