Employee turnover is a big issue for many companies and some studies show that in general, over 33% of employees plan to leave the current place they’re working in the next 12 months. It's a devastating statistic, and given that employees are your biggest asset, you need to recognize if they’re dissatisfied and if so, what to do in order to change their mind.

In this article, we’ll talk about why do your employees want to leave and ways to retain them.

How Can You Tell Your Employees Want to Leave

Noticing that your employee isn’t very satisfied with their job and behaves differently for a long time isn’t really hard. There are a few signs you should take in consideration and if see one of them, you should conduct a more detailed investigation. 

Employee Disengagement

It turns out that over 70% of employees aren’t satisfied with their jobs just because they are disengaged at work. This means that they basically aren’t involved in the job itself. People like to be noticed and to play a part in something big. So if your employees work on irrelevant tasks and aren’t called up for important meetings, they might feel like they aren’t a part of the team and won’t be involved in the future work so much. They’re probably behaving a bit too relaxed and show little to no interest to the work they’re doing. 

The key is to tell them how important they are to your business and that their work is highly appreciable. Don’t let them feel like a misfit and involve them into your business as much as the other employees.

Underperformance

This one is maybe the most common sign and a clear indicator that something is wrong. If your employees are underperforming consistently for a long period of time, and they lack productivity, the issue needs to be addressed.

Web monitoring software for business or time tracking software with screenshots can help you get a valid data about the performance of your employees and if the problem exists, such software will surely pinpoint it. The next step is talking to your employees and investigating what might be the reason of their low productivity.

Mood shifting

Maybe the case was that, in the past, your employees were coming to work cheerful and optimistic. And now, that smile is gone, and they aren’t behaving like they used to. They are more introverted, won’t talk to other colleagues and they aren’t focused on their work. All of these are alarms that something is off and you as a manager need to resolve it. 

It doesn’t mean that this is work related, maybe they are experiencing some personal issues that are affecting their work. In any case, you should talk to the employee in question and see where the issue lies.

Why Does Your Employee Want to Leave?

So, you found out that your employee isn’t behaving as he used to and your web activity monitoring software shows you that they’ve been lacking productivity in the last couple of months. You did your part right and you recognized the signs mentioned above. But, what’s the real reason your employee is behaving like this and thinking about changing their workplace?

There are many reasons. First which arises is obviously money, along with other company perks. Maybe they aren’t satisfied with the compensation and the benefits they receive in your company. . 

Another reason could be a stressful environment. Your employees spend 8 hours per day in the office, so coming to a place which causes stress is really nerve wracking.

Lastly, maybe  they just aren't fit for the job. It’s possible they expected something else from the position they applied for or they are ready to advance. 

Personal reasons aren’t that uncommon, but maybe there’s something you can do to help them out.

What’s good in all these situations is that, in most cases, you can do something about it. This is why it’s important to talk to your employees.

What Can You Do About It?

If the employee in question is precious and hard to replace, it’s imperative to find a solution for this issue. Plus, replacing your employees is very expensive, just think of training new workers, getting them familiar with the business from day one and so on. It’s more convenient just to retain a good employee. Oh, and it goes without saying that high employee turnover rate is something that you can’t hide – neither from your customers, nor current and potential workers.

So, is there anything you can do to make your employees want to stay? Firstly, this isn’t a quick fix. The process could take time, and every tip and advice you give them along the way will mean a lot and they’ll see that you care about them. 

To show them that, you should have one on one meeting with each of your employees, and accept the feedback they provide. In addition, you should ensure that they receive feedback as well. Tell your workers what they should improve and what they’re doing well. Offer them opportunities to develop their skills, and even if it may lead to them outgrowing your business and leave. Listen to their demands and find a solution that works for everyone. Compromise is a relationship builder and both you and your employees need to know that. 

Conclusion

Employees are your greatest asset. Observe them, talk to them and implement technology such as top employee monitoring software in order to get important information about the way they work. 

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