Many factors come into play when when an employee decides whether or not to stick around. While some are pretty obvious, like pay, hours and benefits, others are more subtle.
We’ve all heard the saying, “People don’t quit a job, they quit a boss.” Is it true?
One staffing industry publication conducted a survey where subjects rated their employers from 0 to 10, with “10” being the best possible score and “0” being the worst. Those who gave a “0” frequently listed “bad work environment” and “bad leadership” as their reasoning; those who gave a “10” cited “good work environment” and “good leadership”, suggesting a direct relationship between leadership and culture.
Team leaders are expected to motivate and inspire. When they don’t, morale goes down and so does productivity. Employees respond to the behaviors they see and experience, which is why ineffective leaders breed ineffective followers. This impacts the entire company, spiraling into a cycle of negative workplace culture.
What can you do to fix it?
Invest in your company’s leadership and address concerns with consistency as they arise. Culture trickles down from the top. If the signs point toward leadership, consider additional training for upper-level managers. Yes, it will cost money, but weigh the cost in contrast with the ultimate price of frequent turnover and low productivity.
Everyone deserves to work happy. Your managers will appreciate you giving them the tools to succeed, and the rest of your staff will have a clearly defined standard to model.
Once you’ve equipped your leadership team, it’s important to keep the ball rolling. If you’re not already conducting regular exit and engagement surveys among your employees, this is the time to start – and ETS can help.
