Exploring Why Good Employees Leave Bad Managers

Exploring Why Good Employees Leave Bad Managers

There may be a vast amount of reasons why good employees leave their jobs – whether that be money, moving away, and/or wanting a career change. Whatever the reason, losing an employee can affect a business as office morale may drop, not to mention how costly and timely it is to hire a replacement and train them up to the standard of the previous employee.

However, what if these good employees aren’t leaving their job, they are leaving their managers. A survey by Robert Half showed that workers ranked unhappiness with management as the third most-likely reason they would quit their job. Here are a list of reasons why good employees leave bad managers.

Overworking

A good employee works hard and gets good results in what he/she does. Managers can take advantage of their hard-working employees by overworking them, and nothing burns good employees out like working ridiculously long hours. For managers, it is very tempting to work good employees hard as they deliver the most, but falling into this trap could easily result in that employee leaving. When an employee is being overworked they may feel like they are being punished especially if there is no reward or acknowledgement of the effort they have put in and the work they have delivered.

If a manager is wanting to increase a good employee’s workload, it is good to then increase their status within the workplace, giving them a promotion or a pay rise will make them feel appreciated and happy to take on more work.

They Have Too Many Rules

No matter what job role, if an employee works in a company where the manager creates a list of unnecessary rules, it is guaranteed to send people crazy. People spend the majority of their day at work; therefore, going into a strict environment where you feel like you are entering the Big Brother house isn’t going to make employees want to stick around.

Good employees will refuse to stay if rules are constantly being made and ruining their time at work. Good employees have options, and therefore, if they do not enjoy working somewhere they will leave to better companies.

They Don’t Recognise Good Work

It is very easy for managers to overlook their employees and how hard they work. Everyone likes to feel appreciated so why shouldn’t this be done within the workplace? Acknowledgement from the management team can give good employees a great boost and will make them want to work just as hard to ensure they get the appraisal they desire.

Good managers care about their employees and are more than happy to praise hard workers; this is key to making employees feel appreciated. Bad managers do the opposite and do not appreciate hard workers and what they do for the company. A pat on the back isn’t hard but it can make a big difference amongst employees.

They Don’t Care About Their Employees

A good relationship between colleagues is great but having a good relationship between employees and the boss can sometimes be difficult. Managers have to stay professional within the workplace which is understandable but there is a line between professional and human. Many people will leave their job if they have a bad relationship with their bosses.

Good bosses take interest in their employee’s life inside and outside work. Celebrate any successes and empathise when going through hard times. As a manager, this balance is key to communicating well with employees and building good relationships. Bosses who fail at communicating well with their employees will have a high turnover rate as employees will not want to spend more than eight hours a day with bosses who only care about their work production.

Fail to Develop People’s Skills

When getting a new job the first thing managers tend to do is to train their new employees up and get them working the way the business works. Good managers will keep employees working at the best of their ability and introduce new things to then build up their skills and keep them interested in the job role.

By developing new skills within employees it shows that managers care by paying attention to them and their work. Feedback is a great way to also build a relationship between manager and employee as they work together to master the new skills being taught.

They Don’t Let Employees Pursue Their Passions

Employees will want to do well in work and a good manager will allow them to pursue their passions; this desire could be wanting to change direction within their job role, attempt another role within the workplace, find out what it takes to move up, etc. A good manager will listen to their employees and give them the opportunity to pursue their passions within the workplace, improving employee productivity and job satisfaction.

They Don’t Make Working Fun

If employees aren’t having fun at work then there is an issue that managers need to take care of if they value their employees, and want them to stick around for a long time. Good employees work hard, therefore, should enjoy coming to work. By making work a fun place to come to will keep up the productivity amongst not only good employees but also by everyone within the business as they will appreciate working for a great company.

Managers have to be professional within the workplace, which is understandable but employees would rather have a boss who knows the meaning of fun as it creates a great atmosphere within the workplace and employees work harder to do well for their boss. Plus why would anyone want to leave a fun place to work?

Overall, having good employees within a business is great as they work hard and get the results their bosses want them to get; however, keeping someone who does so well within their role needs to be taken seriously. Managers need to come to understand losing an employee is hard not only for the business but also for other colleagues of theirs as well. Therefore, if you are a manager, look after your employees and take an interest as to who they are because, without them, your business won’t be the same. So if you do have a large turnover, maybe question yourself and not blame other factors within your business.

Want to keep your workforce happy?

By getting this guide you can learn how to keep your workforce happy and reduce the chance of employees leaving. Download your free copy to discover how to create a postive working atmosphere.

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