Why People Really Quit

While you can definitely learn from a dumb boss, FMGirl brings up a good point in her comment on the last post – sometimes you just have to cut your losses.

So why do people quit their jobs? Conventional wisdom would say that you don’t quit your job unless you’ve already got one lined up that’s better (read: pays more).  And in an environment like the one we’re in today, some people are more likely to stay put even if they’re not happy. So why DO people quit their jobs?

Recent research gives us some different answers, but is pretty unanimous about it not being related to pay. A survey of 1,600 Canadians showed that a lack of trust in senior leaders is the main reason people leave.  An earlier survey says the number one reason people quit is being asked to do something unethical. Research by Gallup shows the number one reason is for career advancement or promotional opportunities. I think the key takeaway is that “At least 75% of the reasons for voluntary turnover can be influenced by managers.”

The first survey highlights a disconnect between why workers quit and why their managers think they quit. Managers think people quit because of pay, an unexpected job offer or a decision to change careers. Interestingly, what  those reasons have in common is that they are out of the manager’s control  (except maybe pay).

So managers think employees leave for reasons they (the managers) personally have no influence over.

And in reality, most employees are actually leaving the manager, not the job.

Why the disconnect? Perhaps like a marriage, all relationships (and the employee-employer relationship is one of the most important, if you factor in the amount of time most spend together), trust and communication is key. 

It makes sense why people quit. If you couldn’t trust your significant other, and you couldn’t communicate honestly with him or her, you’d leave (or at least your friends would be telling you to leave). It’s the same with a boss.

If you’re unhappy with your boss, can’t communicate and don’t trust them, start putting the wheels in motion to make a move. Likely it’ll take you at least six months to actually quit, so start thinking about your next move now.

What’s made you quit your job in the past? What is it about your current job that’s most likely to make you quit this one?

Getting Ahead is Easier if You're Dumb

Or put another way, being smart isn’t a prerequisite for success. Nicholas Kristof’s op-ed in the NY Times discusses how Jews, Asian-Americans, and blacks of Caribbean descent have succeeded through hard work and their high cultural value on education – interesting, debatable, but nothing too new there.

Rather than continue the discussion on whether certain minorities achieve more with less, and how education policy shapes the economy and opportunities for individuals, I’m more interested in what it takes to succeed once you’re in the workplace. Most people who’ve been through the educational system aren’t surprised to learn that success in education is about more than I.Q., but the realization that being the smartest person in the office doesn’t mean success in a company often comes as a shock to workers in their first job.

Okay, so you think your boss is dumb. But he or she was smart enough to get promoted at some stage, and if you want to get promoted, pay attention to what your boss did right. And start learning now how to be a good manager when you get that promotion - don’t wait until you find yourself in a position of responsibility just to realize that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing.

Future posts will discuss how to be a good manager. But this one focuses on getting ahead. If you’re relatively junior in a company, you don’t need to prove you’re smarter than the boss to get his/her job. You need to be useful to him/her, or better yet, useful to someone above him/her.

First off, network. Inside the company, outside the company, anywhere you can – get to know people. You’ll never know where a champion might come from. Second, talk more. I don’t care what you say –just say something, even if it is to ask questions about things you don’t understand. Research shows that those who are engaged are viewed as more competent. Finally be nice – it is human nature to want to work with people you get along with. Just as workers often think that a good boss = nice boss, bosses think that nice employees will make good managers.

Who is the worst boss you've had? What did you learn from him/her personally, or the experience more generally?