The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late

255 Pages·2005·1.25 MB·English

by  Leigh Branham

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More Praise for The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave:
‘‘Ifyouareabusinessleaderwhorecognizesthatmaximizingyour
company’s humancapitalwillbethekeyfor competitivesuccess
in the21stcentury,thisbookoffersapracticalguidetoretaining
thatvaluableasset.Backedbyamixtureofresearch,data,and
commonsense,Branhamprovidesthebusinessrationaleand
specific stepsthatanymanagercanimplementtocombatthe
issues thataredrivingtheiremployeestoleave.’’
—WayneM.Keegan,ChiefHumanResourcesOfficer,
IngramBookGroup,Inc.
‘‘LeighBranhamhaswrittenaconciseandengagingbook.Several
key factorsmakethisavaluableread:Hehasincludedinsights
thatunderscorethemutualitybetweenemployerandemployeein
retentionefforts.Hehasusedevidenceofvariouslevelstosupport
hisframework.And,heprovidescaseexamplestoillustratehis
points.Thisisdefinitelyabookanynewmanagerwouldwantto
read.’’
—KarenHaase-Herrick,RN,MN,2004President,
AmericanOrganizationofNurseExecutives
‘‘Ifyoutrulyunderstandthatyourpeopleareyourmostimportant
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choice!’’
—MelanieWays,PHR,HumanResourcesManager,
EEO/AffirmativeActionOfficer,DuncanAviation,Inc.
‘‘Thebookprovidesagreat‘roadmap’for successfulhiringand
retention,withmanycommon(andnot-so-common)senseideas.
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companiesthathaveexperiencedsuccessretainingtoptalent.’’
KeithWiedenkeller,SeniorVicePresident,
HumanResources,AMCEntertainment,Inc.
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TLFeBOOK
The 7 Hidden Reasons
Employees Leave
How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and
Act Before It’s Too Late
Leigh Branham
AmericanManagementAssociation
NewYork•Atlanta•Brussels•Chicago•MexicoCity•SanFrancisco
Shanghai•Tokyo•Toronto•Washington,D.C.
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Branham,Leigh.
The7hiddenreasonsemployeesleave:howtorecognizethesubtle
signsandactbeforeit’stoolate/LeighBranham.
p. cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN0-8144-0851-6
1. Laborturnover. 2. Employeeretention. 3. Jobsatisfaction.
I. Title:Sevenhiddenreasonsemployeesleave. II. Title.
HF5549.5.T8B7 2005
658.3(cid:1)14—dc22
2004013353
(cid:2)2005LeighBranham.
Allrightsreserved.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,
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ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,
inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
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C O N T E N T S
PREFACE xi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii
ChapterOne
WHYCAREABOUTWHYTHEYLEAVE? 1
ManagersWillNotHearWhatWorkersWillNotSpeak 2
Turnover:Justa‘‘CostofDoingBusiness?’’ 5
WhentheTideTurns,MindsetsMustChange 7
What AboutHR’sRoleinExit Interviewing? 8
ChapterTwo
HOWTHEYDISENGAGEANDQUIT 11
The DisengagementProcess 11
The DeliberationProcess 15
ChapterThree
WHYTHEYLEAVE:WHATTHERESEARCHREVEALS 17
WhyEmployeesSayTheyLeave 20
What CausedTheirInitialDissatisfaction? 24
AFewWordsAboutPay 24
RespectingtheDifferences 26
Who HasthePowertoMeetTheseNeeds? 27
TheNextSevenChapters:HiddenReasonsandPracticalActions 28
ChapterFour
REASON(cid:3)1:THEJOBORWORKPLACEWASNOTASEXPECTED 31
HiddenMutualExpectations:ThePsychologicalContract 34
vii
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viii Contents
HowtoRecognizetheWarningSignsofUnmetExpectations 37
ObstaclestoMeetingMutualExpectations 38
EngagementPracticesforMatchingMutualExpectations 39
HowProspectiveEmployeesCanDoTheirPart 44
TheBeginningorEndingofTrust 45
Employer-of-ChoiceEngagementPracticesReviewand
Checklist 45
ChapterFive
REASON(cid:3)2:THEMISMATCHBETWEENJOBANDPERSON 47
What’sMissing:APassionforMatching 49
CommonMisconceptions andTruthsAboutTalent 50
RecognizingtheSignsofJob-PersonMismatch 52
ObstaclestoPreventingandCorrectingJob-PersonMismatch 53
Best-FitSelectionPractices 54
BestPracticesforEngagingandRe-EngagingThroughJobTask
Assignment 62
TheEmployee’sRoleintheMatchingProcess 67
Employer-of-ChoiceEngagementPracticesReviewand
Checklist 68
ChapterSix
REASON(cid:3)3:TOOLITTLECOACHINGANDFEEDBACK 70
WhyCoachingandFeedbackAreImportanttoEngagementand
Retention 72
WhyDon’tManagersProvideCoachingandFeedback? 73
RecognizingtheSigns 75
MoreThananEvent:It’sAbouttheRelationship 75
EngagementPracticesforCoachingandGivingFeedback 77
AFive-Step CoachingProcess 82
WhattheEmployeeCanDotoGetMoreFeedbackand
Coaching 89
Employer-of-ChoiceEngagementPracticesReviewand
Checklist 90
ChapterSeven
REASON(cid:3)4:TOOFEWGROWTHANDADVANCEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES 93
WhatTheyAreReallySaying 95
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C ix
EmployersofChoiceStartbyUnderstandingtheNewCareer
Realities 97
RecognizingtheSigns ofBlockedGrowthandCareer
Frustration 99
BestPracticesforCreatingGrowthandAdvancement
Opportunities 100
What EmployeesCanDotoCreateTheirOwnGrowthand
AdvancementOpportunities 114
Employer-of-ChoiceEngagementPracticesReviewand
Checklist 115
ChapterEight
REASON(cid:3)5:FEELINGDEVALUEDANDUNRECOGNIZED 118
WhyManagersAreReluctanttoRecognize 122
RecognizingtheSigns ThatEmployeesFeelDevaluedand
Unrecognized 123
Pay: TheMostEmotionalIssueofAll 124
PayPracticesThatEngageandRetain 125
ThreeTypesofVariablePay 129
The TotalRewardsApproachtoScarceTalent 132
NonpayBestPracticesforValuingandRecognizing People 133
FocusonthePeople,NotJusttheNumbers 136
What EmployeesCanDotoBeMoreValuedandBetter
Recognized 144
Employer-of-ChoiceEngagementPracticeReviewand
Checklist 145
ChapterNine
REASON(cid:3)6:STRESSFROMOVERWORKANDWORK-LIFE
IMBALANCE 147
HowBigaProblemIsStress? 150
CausesofIncreasedStress 151
Signs thatYourWorkersMayBeStressed-OutorOverworked 151
Healthyvs.ToxicCultures 152
MoreThanJusttheRightThingtoDo 154
The BestPlacesinAmericatoWork 156
It’sNotJustthe‘‘BigBoys’’You’reCompetingWith 158
ABigMenuofBenefitsandServices 160
What theEmployeeCanDotoRelieveStressandOverwork 175
Employer-of-ChoiceEngagementPracticesReviewand
Checklist 176
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