Why Do Your Best Employees Quit?

I’ve been thinking about the Champlain College Workforce Development Center’s Online Human Resources Workshop “Finding and Keeping the Best People” beginning in a few weeks and wondering why good employees leave seemingly good positions and move on. Is there one overarching theme, or a wide variety of reasons? So, as a good librarian, I did some research. What I found left me with more questions than answers along with some skepticism.

Posts from consultant’s web sites lean heavily on bad management behavior as the top reason employees leave. That may be true, but when the next sentence proposes their management coaching program as a solution, I begin to question the research.

Posts that rely on information gathered from exit interviews also leave me wondering. Are most people really honest with human resources during an exit interview? We have all had it drilled into us to “never burn bridges” that I seriously doubt any valid conclusions can be gained during an exit interview.

Also, I’m not convinced that people are really, truly honest with themselves about why they quit. It is a lot easier and safer to say “another company offered me more money or a promotion” than admitting a personal or organizational failure to yourself, family, and friends.

Obviously, there is more than one answer to this question, but one thing is certain. Keeping the best people first requires finding the best people; this means making sure there is a good match between the job and the applicant. The position must make the best use of an individual’s skills and abilities.

Ask yourself these questions?

Hiring managers – Are you truly honest with yourself and the applicant about the position, expectations and organizational culture?

Applicants – Are you truly listening to the hiring manager to determine if the position is a good fit for you, or are you just focusing on “winning the job”?

What are your thoughts on “Finding and Keeping the Right People: HR Best Practices”? Tell us what you think and join our online conversation by enrolling in this workshop beginning November 1. For more information and secure online registration, visit http://www.go.champlain.edu/hrsentry.

Champlain College Management Excellence Seminar Series begins Sept. 17

The Management Excellence Seminar Series delivers the high-level skills that all managers need to be successful. Real workplace scenarios are used in each session to equip participants with tools and strategic concepts they can integrate into their personal management practices for immediate results.

Topics include:

• Managing and developing people
• Leading teams
• Effective delegation
• Making great decisions
• Resolving conflicts
• Coaching for performance.

The seminar's format is interactive and spreads over a five-week period allowing participants to incorporate sessions into their schedules without requiring them to be away from the workplace for an extended block of time. The integration of management concepts with real workplace scenarios ensures an immediate impact. Managers ranging from new to experienced have found this series to be extremely useful!

Management Excellence - It takes training

It is extremely rare for anyone promoted into a management position to suddenly become manager extraordinaire as soon as the new title is bestowed. A good management training class is critical for success by providing a so-called management toolkit, which enables a new manager to build sound management practices and create high functioning teams. As this video demonstrates, managers have a lot to think about. If you have been promoted into a management position on the basis of your technical expertise and performance, a management training class is essential - insist on getting the training you need for success!