You don’t need to see the movie ‘Horrible Bosses’ to realize that some employees are treated poorly every day. In the real world, talented – but badly treated – employees don’t plot to murder their horrible bosses. (Well, most of the time anyway). They simply quit and move on to greener pastures, leaving the managers to shake their heads at the loss of another good employee – and the cost to replace them.

Managers tend to blame turnover problems on a lot of things and disregard the most common reason: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers. Here are a few of the reasons horrible bosses send good employees packing:

1. They overwork people – Nothing burns out good employees like overworking them. If you must increase workload, have a plan in place to increase resources, staff and possibly pay.
2. They don’t recognize contributions and reward good work – Don’t underestimate the power of a pat on the back. Managers need to find out what makes employees feel good (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done.
3. They don’t truly care about their employees – Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates. It’s deflating and depressing to work for someone when it’s clear they only care about results and cost savings.
4. They don’t honor their commitments – When you make a promise and keep it, you prove to your employees that you are trustworthy and honorable. This is the type of leader people choose to follow. But when you disregard your commitment or let other things constantly take priority, you come across as uncaring and disrespectful.
5. They hire and promote the wrong people – Good, hardworking employees want to work with like-minded people and be given career growth opportunities. When you work your tail off only to get passed over for a promotion that’s given to an unqualified candidate, ­­­­it’s a massive insult.
6. They fail to develop people’s skills – When you have a talented employee, it’s up to you to keep finding areas where they can improve. Good employees want feedback and opportunities for growth – and it’s your job to keep it coming.
7. They fail to challenge people intellectually – Great bosses challenge their employees to accomplish things that seem inconceivable at first. Instead of setting mundane, incremental goals, they set lofty goals that push people out of their comfort zones and they back it up with coaching and support.

So take heed, bosses, to these top reasons why good employees quit. Talented employees have an abundance of work options available to them. If you want to keep your best and brightest, you need to think carefully about how you treat them. It all comes down to leadership, trust and communication. If you and your organization need to brush up on your leadership skills, check out https://www.powersresourcecenter.com/leadership-training/