Forbes magazine reported in 2014 that in March of that year, that 2.475 million Americans had quit their jobs. Apparently the number was increasing steadily since 2009, which seems quite surprising considering the recent financial collapse the country suffered during those years. Members of the workforce today are empowered by factors like new technologies, belonging to a different generation and overall being more confident in their own abilities, which allow them to strive for a higher level of job satisfaction.

As a leader, boss, manager, CEO or any position you may have that places you in charge of others, it is important to consider why people leave their companies and quit their jobs. It is important to have a constant and loyal workforce with a sense of ownership for their place of work, in order to be successful in today’s work environment more than ever.

  1. They are overwhelmed with responsibilities.

This happens a lot in companies and usually to the best employees we have. It is common that when a person leaves, a different worker may take on some of their responsibilities for the time being in order to keep the workplace running while a replacement is found. The problem is, that sometimes that position is never filled out and the efficiency displayed by those employees that take on more work, sometimes make it difficult to see that they are being overwhelmed. Sometimes we overwork our best employees because they are dependable and trustworthy, but we forget that we may be inducing them to fatigue and unnecessary stress. Our best assets should always be cared for, especially when it comes to the human portion of our company.

  1. They are not given a clear sense of possible career advancement.

The same way you were eager to advance in your career and get to the management position you have today, so do your employees. People want to know their goals matter and their advancement is important to the company. It is important as a manager to guide your employees on the path to their success, which will reflect greatly upon yourself as well. Talk to them individually about where they want to go with their career.

  1. They are disappointed by broken promises.

Promises and commitment from the company to their employees are great ways to boost performance and to motivate your workforce. Breaking those promises and not committing to your word, is the easiest way to lose personal and to create a negative work environment of low morale.

  1. They don’t feel their skills are put to the best use.

Understand your employees and get to know them individually so you can understand how to best put their individual skills to use. It is important to constantly listen and give feedback to your employees and to find ways to utilize those skills for the benefit of all of those involved. Failing to do so, will ensure your best people will grow bored and feel unappreciated.

Image courtesy of Georgia Southern at Flickr.com

Image courtesy of Georgia Southern at Flickr.com

  1. They don’t feel challenged intellectually.

A great leader is instrumental in helping his employees reach their full potential. Help those who work under you, to exceed the expectations they have of themselves and get out of their comfort zone. Push goals that may seem difficult and even unattainable at first, but will grant those who follow you the satisfaction of accomplishing a difficult task and be surprised by the extent of their own efforts.

  1. They are constantly being micromanaged.

Trust those who work for you, there is a reason you hired them. As a boss it is important to understand the fine line between being aware of what’s going on in your company and being able to oversee the details of your daily operations, and getting in the way of your employees micromanaging the work they do. Micromanaging is sometime the answer to push those workers with a less than optimal performance, but when you do this to your good employees, you are seriously hurting your work relationship with them and hindering their input to the advancement of the company.

  1. They are unhappy with the overall corporate culture of the company.

Overall corporate culture and work atmosphere are some of the most important things people consider when citing their satisfaction with their workplace. It is important for a company to show that is appreciates its employees and that it does everything possible to make sure they feel respected, comfortable and safe within the organization. Events, activities, celebrations and team building exercises are wonderful ways to make employees feel their company is a great place to work.

  1. Their boss.

People leave their jobs because of their bosses, plain and simple. Employees want a leader, a person who values them, who appreciates their efforts and respects them enough to provide them meaningful tasks that challenge and motivates them. Employees want a boss who helps them grow and grows with them.

Check out more of my articles about positive workplace relationships and leadership right at Jason Hanold blog.