Employees don't just quit to quit, it's a real test of leadership. When leaders fail, people quit.
That's what Bill Haas, president of Haas Performance Consulting, said during a session for the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) virtual experience.
He says hen an employee quits, they quit believing and quit performing their normal duties. A lot of times, however, an employee doesn't have to physically quit to quit the job. An employee could quit in their mind and still show up to work every day.
So, how do you avoid getting to that point? Here are the four reasons Haas says employees leave.
They feel devalued.
It's a well-known fact: People want to be appreciated. Leaders may actually value their employees, but don't take action to show their employees that they do. Haas says employers need to ask themselves, What do we do that makes people feel valued? It could be through words, but, as the saying says, actions speak much louder. It could be offering more benefits or treating them to a lunch. Whatever you decide would help show your employees you value them, it just needs to be frequent to give them that constant reassurance.
They can't trust you.
Trust works through all of your relationships, even your business relationships. And like other relationships, trust can be broken a lot quicker than gaining it. Haas says within the first 60 days at your company, an employee is already deciding if they want to stay or not. And when an employer promises things they can't keep, employees can't take their word for granted. The takeaway? When you say you'll do something, follow through on it.
They feel you're incompetent.
As an employer, you're the role model in your employees' eyes. If there's an issue, they'll come to you for advice. And when you don't have the answers, employees start to feel that you don't know what you're doing. And sooner or later if it's persistent, employees start to feel that they can do a better job than you can as a leader. Rule of thumb: be a role model for your employees and come prepared to take the lead on anything, big or small.
They see your insecurity.
Look at your to-do list. Are there still items on this list that were there over a month ago? Haas says an unwillingness to delegate is a sign of being insecure with your people and not putting your trust in them that they can do the job right. Employees want to, again, feel valued and grow, and giving them more and more experience will help develop them into leaders. It's a leader's job to give them that opportunity.
