Why are employees quitting abruptly?

Jane Muiruri, Senior HR Manager Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • What kind of boss are you? Do you listen to your employees opinions? Do they dread coming to work every morning because of the hostile environment you have created?

Dear Jane,
I started a small business and one of the challenges I face is employee retention. Several times I have trained employees only for them to leave without even telling me. How do I retain them? Is there a way to make them stay or to ensure they serve the required notice before they leave? Rachel.

Dear Rachel,
Do you believe that employees are the most important asset in any organisation or is this just cliché to you? What kind of boss are you? Do you listen to your employees opinions? Do they dread coming to work every morning because of the hostile environment you have created?

If you encourage them to open up, you could be surprised by how easy it will be to improve retention by factoring in their grievances. Most times, employees yearn to be appreciated either by a simple encouraging statement or even a pat on the back.

Show genuine concern about the wellbeing of the employees, Do you call to check on them when they are sick? When is the last time you asked about their family?
Do you invest in them in terms of training? Employers must train their employees to build capacity and improve their competencies.

However, bear in mind that an employee might still leave for greener pastures even if you made huge investments in their career growth. Do your employees have contracts that require them to serve notice when they leave? Are you the kind of employer who sulks when employees leave and even withhold their final dues?

Perhaps they leave abruptly to avoid confrontation. How do you let go of employees? Do you give them notice or pay in lieu of notice? Often, employees project the same behavior as their employers when it comes to separation.

- Never block your previous employees’ career progression. Instead, create opportunities for them to grow and thrive so that they enjoy working for you. Review your employees salaries to match those offered by companies your size.

Also, find out what they like about working for you and leverage on those elements to improve retention. Attrition is not all bad. It also creates an opportunity for the organisation to inject new skills and ideas into the business. Do not vilify those who choose to leave to avoid scaring the remaining ones.

Jane Muiruri,
Senior HR Manager,
Nation Media Group
[email protected]