How To Get Your Staff To Leave (Are You Sabotaging Your Retention Strategy?)

​​Have you ever wondered why your top employees are heading for the exit? 

Despite your best efforts, could you be unknowingly sabotaging your retention strategy? 

This blog will:

• Explore the red flags to look out for,
• Suggest some of the common practices that might force otherwise content staff to leave, 
• Offer solutions to improve staff retention.

Red Flags To Look Out For

During the hustle and bustle of everyday working life, it can be difficult to spot patterns. 

But, setting aside time to analyse your employee churn rate (and specifically which roles, teams or departments are experiencing the highest turnover) can shine a light on possible areas of your organisation that need improvement. 

Gather information on instances of employee turnover, and see if you can spot anything unusual. Here are some key red flags to watch out for.

Red Flag 1: Employees Hitting A Glass Ceiling

Are a lot of staff moving so that they can progress in their career? Or are taking a side-ways move to a company that has a better training system?

In this situation, the underlying issue may be that you’re not providing adequate training, mentoring, or clear paths for career progression. 

This then leads to dissatisfaction and staff turnover.

Red flag 2: High Exit Rates in Specific Teams or Departments

Are there specific roles, teams or departments that see a greater churn rate than others? This scenario could be caused by several factors. 

For example:

• Poor leadership practices within the department, (such as a lack of communication, or micromanagement) may be creating a toxic work environment that drives employees away.
• A toxic culture, where negative behaviour is tolerated or not addressed, could be the cause. This may be making the workplace unbearable, leading to high turnover.
• A stifling environment where employees feel micromanaged or unable to contribute ideas may be driving away those seeking a more dynamic and fulfilling role.

Red flag 3: High Levels of Stress and Burnout

Although there’s no denying that sometimes illness just happens, a high rate of sickness leave or absenteeism might be a symptom of something worse. 

Unrealistic expectations, excessive workloads, or lack of support for work-life balance can lead to burnout. To cope, staff resort to taking lots of time off, which increases your rate of absenteeism.  

When this pattern becomes the norm, staff then opt to leave for companies where working conditions are less stressful. 

Red flag 4: Negative Reputation in the Job Market

Occasionally, former employees can leave poor reviews because of conflicts. 

But, if former staff are frequently leaving negative reviews about the company online then you may have a problem. 

Similarly, if you’re having trouble recruiting for roles, then your reputation may be to blame. 

A negative reputation can be a sign that the work environment is not conducive to employee satisfaction, leading to higher churn as employees seek better opportunities elsewhere.