Why Good Employees Quit Their Jobs

It’s the dreaded words that no manager wants to hear from a good employee, “I quit”. All employers want to keep their talented staff for as long as possible. Not only is the turnover of staff expensive it is also difficult to find good replacements, along with the uncertainty of how they will work out. Sometimes there are reasons that an employee may leave, that you unfortunately can’t prevent such as personal reasons, or they have been offered an opportunity that was too good to let pass by.

However, often there are other reasons that are preventable, below are some of the most common reasons.

No Opportunities For Promotion

Every employee wants the chance to better themselves and get ahead in the company they are working in. However, employers can often just focus on getting the work done and ensuring targets are met. If a member of staff feels that they are not going anywhere in the company, they will look elsewhere for better opportunities.

Therefore it is important for managers to take the time to talk to their staff with regards to their career progression and where they would like to see themselves going in the company.

They Are Overworked

It can be easy for managers to overwork their best employees, however this can be counterproductive. It can make employees feel like they are being punished or that they are being loaded with too many responsibilities without getting the pay or title to go along with it.

They Don’t Like Their Boss

It is not necessary for employees and their manager to be friends, but it is important that there is a relationship there. The boss is too much a part of an employee’s daily life at work to have an awkward or uncomfortable relationship. Having a bad relationship with a manager can discourage staff members from doing a good job.

Commitments Aren’t Honoured

Managers can often promise their employees the sun, moon and stars, however they don’t always follow through on their promises. This can be extremely frustrating for employees when they have put in the work and effort but are not rewarded with the promotion or raise that they were promised. Making empty promises to good employees can often result in them finding work elsewhere.

They Are Bored

No one wants to be unchallenged or bored with the work that they do. Employees that perform well, need to be challenged in their work and given the chance to develop their skills. By giving employees more meaningful work, they use more of their skills and can often find better ways to get things done. If staff do not get to engage creatively, they are more likely to become restless in the job and begin looking for a more stimulating job elsewhere.

The important thing to remember when trying to retain top staff, is communication. Think about how you treat your staff and if you would be happy in their position. Often factors for employees leaving are preventable, therefore it is important to be actively developing staff members as much as possible. Good employees have the talent that gives them plenty of other options, so make sure they want to stay working for you.

How To Answer “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?”

The one question I am always asked when preparing a candidate for an interview is “how do I answer the weakness question?” The worst reaction you can have to this question is to say I don’t have a weakness. Everyone has a weakness and the reason the interviewer is asking this question is to see how you act outside your comfort zone. People often make the common mistake of trying to turn a negative into a positive. An example of this would be I’m a perfectionist or I work too hard. These answers are boring and show the interviewer you have put very little thought into his/her question. Also you are not actually answering the question you’re just trying to put a clever spin on it. Another mistake candidates make is being too honest. Never mention a weakness that you have if it is going to stop you from getting the job. So don’t answer “I’m lazy” or that “I’m always late” as this is not what your potential new employer wants to hear. The trick to answering this is in the same way you would answer any interview question and that’s by preparing your answer in advance. It can be very difficult to talk about your flaws in a stressful situation like an interview so make sure you spend time preparing your answer. These are a few ways to best answer the weakness question: 1. Pick a weakness that is acceptable for the jobDon’t pick a skill or requirement that is on the job spec that you don’t have and say it is your main weakness. This will only put doubt into the interviewers head. 2. Pick a weakness that you can developFor this type of answer you might think of an example where you had a weakness but developed it over the course of your time in prior employment. 3. Describe your weakness in a concise wayDon’t go into loads of detail on this question. They are asking you your weakness so be brief and don’t come across as negative. A common answer that candidates often use when asked the weakness question is on their delegation skills. Here you can mention a time when you used to have the mentality that only you could do the job but over time you realised that it was actually slowing the work down and by delegating to other staff members the job was done quicker. This answer is perfect to give but it depends on what job you are going for. If you are going for a managerial role where managing and delegating work will be part of your job description then don’t use delegating as your weakness. Every question in an interview is an opportunity for you to sell yourself, so it is important you never miss a genuine opportunity and the weakness question is no different. Treat it like you would any interview questions that you find hard and prepare your answer.

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Why Good Employees Quit Their Jobs

No Opportunities For Promotion

They Are Overworked

They Don’t Like Their Boss

Commitments Aren’t Honoured

They Are Bored

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