Jobs might be frustratingly scarce for the time being, but that doesn't mean employees have limitless reserves of time, patience or energy. Strong policies help any company run efficiently, but if employers are too stringent, they risk alienating their employees.
CNN Wire looked at recent studies and discovered five popular reasons why employees quit their jobs. Companies should take care to avoid these errors, and employees should pay attention to when they're genuinely being mistreated.
1. Slow Wage Growth
Your starting salary might be great, but what's it going to look like in three years, or even five? An employee's value grows over time as they accrue experience and expertise, and they should be compensated accordingly. Furthermore, most employees should expect at least modest wage increases to compensate for inflation. If a company is holding out on providing minimum raises, employees are likely to walk out the door.
2. Few Advancement Opportunities
Even if someone is happy with their current position, they might not feel that way forever. Many workers, especially the good ones, have their eye on advancement. Employees want their hard work and experience to be recognized, and promotions reward them with an increased salary and more responsibility. In general, employees want to know that their work is actually leading somewhere bigger and better. Dead-end positions aren't decried for nothing.
3. Too Much Overtime
Employees should work hard, but everyone has limits. You might be able to squeeze years of consistent, grueling overtime out of someone, but no one can handle a punishing schedule forever. When work starts to dominate someone's personal life, they'll start calculating the pros and cons of keeping their job. No matter how much they love or need the job, sapping an employee's free time is a recipe for quick demoralization.
4. Lack of Teamwork
As the 17th-century poet John Donne famously said: "No man is an island." Working alone is a bearable burden, but working with other people who don't function well as a team can kill an employee's motivation. Without teamwork, people miscommunicate, miss deadlines and provide too much of the wrong type of work. Teams need synergy to function properly, and good teamwork can even help boost everyone's motivation.
5. Lack of Scheduling Flexibility
Technology and modern perspectives on business have created an expectation of schedule flexibility. Workers want to be able to work 40 hours a week, but they might want to work at a later hour or work at home for a day or two out of the week. A certain level of structure and timeliness should be expected, but companies that don't allow flexible schedules risk losing their best workers.
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