Why Good Employees Quit - the Main Reason for Employee Turnover

Are your good employees quitting? When top talent quits, it can be mystifying, infuriating, and costly. Our research shows that the average cost of turnover is $235,975 per employee! It's even more frustrating when you're trying to sort through exit interview feedback or whatever the flavor of the month "reasons that employees quit" survey in the news happens to be.

You've probably heard it all before:
- Lack of career advancement
- Not feeling paid what they're worth.
- Job fit
- Negative relationships with boss and coworkers.

The shifting list of reasons can make it impossible to establish a successful employee retention strategy.

The key is to understand the universal, main reason for employee turnover, then establish a proactive strategy to address it.

You may be surprised to know that you can even apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory to boost employee engagement and reduce turnover.

That's exactly the approach I take with my clients, and you'll discover that plus a success framework and three ways to address it immediately in this video.

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New Videos every Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by and if you have any productivity or career questions you'd like me to cover in a future episode, just let me know in the comments section below.

[rickywest]

The good employees quit because they are tired of watching the shitty one’s get promoted and make more for doing nothing. Shifty management also adds to the impact of why good employees leave.

[chazlyle]

A good employee has two enemies; bad leaders and bad workers, both of which are 100% management’s responsibility.

[danielkeene]

Good employees quit when a small group of competent employees do the majority of the work that is produced while the people who are not productive get paid on the same paygrade, receive equal credit, and are never held accountable for the job function they should be doing but are not. That's what pushes me to find new employment. I'm sick of doing more than other people simply because I know how to do it. I'm at the point in my life that my time is more important than the money so I'm not interested in working endless hours. I'm not looking to make a name for myself, I already have that.

[jenshark]

Workload, workload, workload. High performing employees like to take on more than others and we function at a higher workload than the average employees. But there is a fine line to being overworked. Do not cross that line or we will leave. This is the number one reason that I have quit the majority of my jobs.

High performers get handed more work because it’s easier for the bosses to ask a yes person that will get it done than to ask and follow up and have to correct the work of the average employees.

When we are overworked and not compensated and not promoted we will leave.

[patrickbarnes]

I have another one. An office bully who is actively protected by management. Try talking to this person, nothing. Go to bosses, they tell you to "deal with it".
I will. Somewhere else.

[PaganMin-]

most people quit mainly because of bad colleagues or bad managers/bosses

[olguiq]

Micro management, no growth, CRAPPY raises, tóxic managers. I wish them well.

[sonicmoore]

This is why I’m starting my own business. Jobs nowadays are a joke I would rather make more money with my own business instead of dealing with toxic co workers and managers in a toxic work environment while getting underpaid. It’s not worth it.

[gbb]

Too late. Nothing my employer can do to bring me back…..I’m out of there.

[ThatJohnKillion]

The Open Door policy is bullshit, especially when your boss is the problem.

[JorJor]

I recently asked for a raise, got denied and now my manager has turned into a micromanager and has become condescending.

About to quit.

[senantiasa]

I've only ever quit because of my boss. IN ALL COMPANIES I'VE EVER WORKED IN. Actually, in my last job interview (before the one for my current job), my potential boss seemed like an 455hole so when he asked my expected salary at the end, I asked for an insane amount just because I really didn't want him to hire me.

[MrBobbyBrown]

Good employees quit bad managers, not companies. Micro-management, not listening, entitledness, etc, are all toxic traits of bad managers and there are more bad managers out there than good managers. This is why there is so much job turnover in the last 2 years specifically. Good people are tired of working for terrible people.

[AwakenedOne-qu]

People don't quit jobs, they quit managers.

[TamaraScott-ts]

FYI - left my job (as a high performer) because other people who left were not replaced and I kept getting more work and no more pay. I was extremely stressed and kept telling my superiors but nothing changed. Eventually I quit even without a job lined up. Then they offered me an 11% pay bump to stay, but by then I was just done. Emotional safety is a thing too.

Got a new job. Much more relaxed environment. After 2 years making almost twice what I made before. I wish I had left sooner!!

[humanbeing]

Businesses need to stop telling employees that they're family. Letting people go is always a business decision, nothing more. Performance reviews are the companies way of selecting people to get rid of/ excuse any pay increases that should be provided. Also accusing employees of leaving because they are putting money above everything else. People aren't living to work. They are working to live. The only ones who work, sweat, and bleed the business are the ceos that start the company. No one else. Ceo passion will alway be diehard. Employees should never be forced to have that level of attitude or commitment. Businesses that refuse to keep up with the highest cost of living in the USA, deserve to fail.

[jayviensam]

Yes indeed, managers be watching you to see you will make a plenty "mistakes" then write you up for it. Coworkers talk trash infront other workers and "snitch" to managers. What irks me is that they be like "we're a team" "we're a family" 😂

[hadenough]

The employee should not be more qualified than the management. i.e. hiring the manager of a Walmart to be the safety director of a HAZ-MAT tank trucking company.

[markpelzer]

Over worked, nasty internal customers. That why I quit a 34 yr job today.

[MB-orjs]

1. Negative relationships - mostly boss related which is automatically connected to #2 and #3: 2. lack of career advancement, 3. Lack of visibility internally and externally (lack of recognition). All other factors are less important from my experience.