Reasons for Resignations from a Recruiter's Perspective.

“I did not see that coming” 

How many times after an employee tendered their resignation, have you looked at your colleague and said that? As a recruiter, when speaking to a candidate, I often try to understand why a candidate left or their motivations for looking out.

With “quiet-quitting” being a relatively new tend, 2022, has been a whirlwind, with the market being rather unpredictable, even in a relatively “safe” industry – life-sciences. There are some common themes that came up in my discussions. And perhaps, this might help you, as a hiring manager / future hiring manager, how to identify if a talent would leave and perhaps, help you retain a stellar talent because counter-offering is almost never an answer in such cases.

1.      Unappreciated

This is probably the second most glaring and obvious one in the list. If an employee missed out on a promotion or an increment, they’d often start to feel the grass is greener on the other side. Every employee has the right to know why they didn’t get the promotion and what they must do to get that promotion. To put things in a sporting perspective, from numerous accounts of his ex-players, Sir Alex Ferguson, the former manager of Manchester United, used to have a discussion with every player when they were left out of the team. He’d sit them down and share why they weren’t playing and what they needed to do, to break into the team. It didn’t matter if you were a seasoned veteran, or if you were a rookie- you’d know. He went on to become the most successful manager in Manchester United’s history. Food for thought, for most of us in the corporate world.

2.      Too Comfortable

I often push back to this when candidates state this as a reason for looking out. If you’re getting a steady paycheck in this unpredictable climate, with close to no risk of losing your job, because all you have to do is show up for work, then why look out? But the world has changed though, hasn’t it? Gone are the days of sitting behind a desk waiting to collect a paycheck and staying at a company for 10-15 years with minimal increment and doing the same role. In the ever-connected world, candidates often compare themselves to their ex-employees, their ex-schoolmates, their spouses etc. When they see others doing better, they start to question whether they could do more with what they’ve learnt. If we identify a talent being too comfortable, with a desire to learn more, perhaps entrusting them with more projects/territories/responsibilities would entice them into staying longer. In any case, giving them more could create the impression that the organization and their hiring manager values them as an integral part of the business.

3.       Does their current role align with their end goals?

This is something that can and should be addressed during the interview stage itself before the candidate onboards in the organization. If right from the get-go, you’ve got a talent that is looking for regional exposure, and your organization can’t and potentially can never offer that, then you’re setting yourself up for a talent to resign as soon as a regional role pops up for them externally. If you can address that early, you’re saving yourself a hassle of the whole recruitment process in the coming 6 - 12 months. Of course, goals change, and what’s shared during the interview may not always be 100% the truth, and we can’t always identify their true motivations, but if you don’t ask the question early at all, you’ll definitely never know.

4.      Money

This is the most obvious one on this list. This links to the point #1. When candidates are getting below market average, when they honestly feel the work they put in is not on par with their monthly salary, or when their peers are making more for doing less – doubts will creep in and dissatisfaction will rise. Like it or not, money is linked to motivation. For example, If I’m guaranteed a successful placement with a client, you can bet your last dime, I’ll be putting in the all the extra hours required (hence a retainer is sometimes a better option, Mr/Mrs Client). At the same time, acknowledge when your talents have a change in their personal lives. When they have a kid, when a loved one falls ill, when they’re about to embark on a next phase in life and expenses are about to be higher, and if the business allows, perhaps offer them a raise. This keeps them motivated, feel valued and most importantly, show them your emphatic side.

5.      Flexibility

In hindsight, one of the biggest things to have come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, was the ability to work from home. It was never an option for most organizations prior to it. However, with the work from home formula, businesses were still running, but people were able to spend more time with their loved ones, they could send their kids to school and most people didn’t end the day feeling burnt out (or at least most people didn’t, - I acknowledge conflicting reports and takes on this). In this year alone, I’ve had talents rejecting really good offers because of the inability to work from home a number of times a week. If your businesses allows this, and productivity levels remains high, then why not? I can safely say this is going to become a norm in most organizations, and you wouldn’t want to lose your talents to them, only because you’re stuck in 2019 and refuse to change.

To conclude, there’s no sure-fire way to prevent resignations. In fact, people will still resign. But doing these could potentially limit the number of resignations your organizations face, retain top talents and keep the vibes at the workplace positive. It will also speak volumes about you and your organization in a very positive light and you will then be able to attract the best talents. Now, wouldn’t that be a joy?

Rashbir Hundal, Senior Consultant | Life-Sciences | Mason & Co