Dive Brief:
- A study of global workers found that half of them plan to leave their current jobs in 2017. Fast Company says a recent survey by Dale Carnegie Training shows that 40% of all workers polled are planning job exits next year. Nearly 26% of US workers say they plan to go job hunting within 12 months, and 15% said they’re already looking. About 3,300 workers in 14 countries took part in the study.
- Poor management was the primary reason workers cited for leaving. Researchers in the study found that employees are 10 times more likely to feel satisfaction on the job if their managers are trustworthy and honest. Workers who feel their managers lack integrity are four times more likely to leave. Fast Company says that a 2015 Weber Shandwick study shows similar results.
- The Dale Carnegie study also found discrepancies between what employees said they expected from leaders and how leaders actually behaved. As an example, 84% of US workers said that admitting mistakes is important, but only 51% of US workers said that managers took responsibility for their actions. Likewise, 85% of employees said it’s important for managers to show appreciation, but less than half said their managers regularly show gratitude.
Dive Insight:
With nearly half of employees in the study planning to leave their jobs next year, employers have lots of retention work to do. Companies can conduct internal polls to find out workers’ views on how the workplace is being run. A few grumbling employees isn’t cause for alarm, but if several workers are planning a mass exodus, employers should find out why. Exit polls can be informative.
The study offers some smart retention strategies to take, such as allowing employees to save face in tough situations, having managers own up to their own mistakes, recognizing performance improvements, praising workers when deserved and showing appreciation for their work.
