The success of any company depends significantly on the quality of its human resources. Sometimes, however, companies may lose their most skilled and talented employees resulting in problems such as reduced morale and reduced productivity levels. To be able to put in place strategies that encourage good employees to stay, it is necessary to first understand why good employees may quit.

1. Lack of Engagement

Many times, good employees quit because they do not feel like they do not feel a sense of connection to the workplace. Research by Gallup suggests that up to 53% of all employees are in “engagement purgatory”. This means that while these employees may claim to be satisfied with their work, they do not feel emotionally or mentally connected to it. Such employees are likely to quit when they get better job offers.

2. They do not feel Trusted

Good employees may also quit from a workplace because they do not feel like the leaders trust them enough. Leader mistrust in employees may be reflected in practices such as micromanaging employees and not giving them enough independence to perform their tasks.

3. Lack of Recognition and Appreciation

Employees thrive when their efforts and abilities are recognized and appreciated by the management as well as by co-workers. For example, some talented employees may feel that they are underpaid or that they are not receiving any positive feedback on their contributions. Some other employees may feel that the management is not listening to their ideas, concerns or complaints. For example, an employee who feels that a sexual harassment case was not handled properly may end up quitting due to frustration.

4. Career Stagnation

Sometimes, talented employees may feel that their career within a particular company has stagnated. For example, an employee who has worked for ten years without a promotion may feel stuck and disengaged from their work. Similarly, employees who feel that the available opportunities in a company are unfairly handed out could feel frustrated and end up quitting in search of career advancement and professional development.

5. Lack of Challenges

Good employees often enjoy tackling new challenges now and then. When such employees believe that they are not being challenged enough or that their talents and skills are being under-utilized, they may end up leaving.

6. Poor Management/Leadership

In some cases, the leaders or managers in a company may also contribute to good employees quitting. This is particularly so when managers create a toxic work environment e.g. by constantly bashing employees or discouraging divergent thinking.

On the same note, poor leadership may lead to low motivation levels among employees thus increasing dissatisfaction.