Want Your Employees to Quit? Keep Doing This!

The US Department of Labor reports that over two million Americans leave their jobs every month. Alan Hall of Forbes states that over 30 percent of employees who look for alternative employment do so because they dislike their boss, feel a lack of empowerment, dislike the internal politics, or feel a lack of recognition. A leadership position is one of personal accountability and responsibility. An effective leader must elicit trust and respect from employees, which can only be achieved through appropriate behavior and actions.

Such actions include creating a vision for the company, empowering employees with the resources to achieve that vision, and promoting fair and equitable practices for all. Anything less will reduce morale among employees and destroy trust. Poor leadership can result in staff insecurity, defensive practices, and a culture of blame. John White offers some examples of poor leadership that are sure to encourage employees to work elsewhere.

Micromanaging.

Trust your employees to do their job, but provide the required resources that they need to do so. Provide frequent feedback to employees so that they are aware of their level of performance. Communication with employees and invite ideas for improvements. Ask staff what would help them to do a better job.

Setting unattainable goals.

Ray Williams of the Financial Post states that overly ambitious goals are guaranteed to overwhelm and frustrate staff. Set short-term goals that staff can attain and congratulate them in their efforts.

Unprofessional behavior.

This can include office politicking, deceiving customers or suppliers, or inappropriate activity of any type in the workplace. If a company’s leadership demonstrates such egregious negative behaviors, employees are wise to leave.

Hypocrisy.

If you want your employees to work hard, you must work hard yourself. Effective leadership requires setting an example. Saying one thing and doing another destroys a leader’s integrity and will not garner respect from others.

An effective leader allows room for mistakes. Innovation comes from trial and error. However, hiring the right employees in the first place is crucial. Ensure that you hire capable employees by using professional hiring practices. Contact a Hire Standard Staffing professional for short- and long-term staff that fit your organizational structure.