Loud or Quiet - Employees Quit

Balancing the value we offer employees with the career progress they seek remains a consistent struggle. Despite our best efforts to provide meaningful opportunities, a great employee experience, and a sense of growth, we often fall short of matching the dedication and commitment employees invest in us.

From a recruitment perspective, I regularly explore this tension in conversations with candidates—their push-and-pull factors. When trust is established, and they're willing to be vulnerable, it's fascinating to unpack the different push-and-pull factors that influence their decisions.

Understanding these personal levers provides valuable insights and reminds me how critical it is to align our efforts with their aspirations.

The article "Why Employees Quit. New research points to some surprising answers." by Ethan Bernstein, Michael B. Horn, and Bob Moesta, is long but worth reading, so I encourage you to bookmark and digest it. Let me know if you can't access it, and I will send you the full article.

In the meantime, here's a concise breakdown of the key ideas and hopefully, some actionable takeaways.

My Insights

Pushes and pulls in job switching

• Pushes: Are negative experiences or circumstances that repel employees (e.g., toxic culture, poor fit). Pushes can also be a lack of growth or progression, being overlooked for an opportunity or promotion. Pushes are unique to the individual, however, can also reflect cultural trends to be aware of across a team or company.
• Pulls: Aspirational or appealing opportunities in new roles such as more flexibility, alignment with values, promotion or recognition, or compensation. Pulls are typically very unique to the individual, however, employer branding and reputation helps.

Push and pulls clustered into four main quests

• Get out: Escaping a poor work environment.
• Regain control: Seeking balance and agency over your work and professional life.
• Regain alignment: Finding a role that better respects and utilises your skills.
• Take the next step: Pursuing growth or greater responsibilities and opportunities.

Understanding push vs. pull factors and quests gives you the knowledge to work with your employees to achieve their desired progress. 

Actionable takeaways for organisations

• Don't wait for an Exit Interview. Talk to your employees regularly to understand their push vs. pull levers and avoid making assumptions. Learn from employees' past experiences to anticipate future motivations and pain points.
• Develop "shadow" job descriptions that speak to their—and the company's—real needs. Collaborate with employees to co-design roles and experiences that reflect both organisational needs and individual aspirations.
• Internal Flexibility: Create opportunities for lateral moves, temporary assignments, or "role slices" to keep employees engaged and growing within the organization.
• Huddle with HR, PeopleOps, or your leadership peers to help employees make the progress they desire. If you don't have an internal HR equipped with the skill and knowledge, lean on an external or fractional model.
• Be realistic and honest. The reality is that we cannot always meet the needs of our employees. Sometimes it is better to be transparent and support their journey outside of your company. That way, they will boomerang back when the time is right and bring greater experience and different perspectives

- Kate

Would you like help tailoring these strategies to your organisation? Reach out to our team to tap into Cultivate's HR consulting services - hello@cultivate.asia