8 reasons valued employees leave – and how to keep them

Valued employees are, well, invaluable to your business. From putting in more discretionary effort and caring about your success to contributing to your culture – for the right reasons! – and helping others, they play a pivotal part in helping you meet your overarching goals.

With that in mind, it’s only natural to want to cling on to them for as long as you can. So, to help you on your way, we’ve compiled a list of eight common reasons valued employees up sticks and leave.

1. They don’t realise they’re valued

Just because you value them, it doesn’t mean they feel valued. We’ve covered it in more detail here, but simple things like showing a genuine interest in their life, asking for ideas and being open and honest take little effort, but go a long way.

2. They don’t feel like they’re being stretched or developed

Complacency can be a killer for some employees. While some quite like the easy life, others need to be challenged, stretched and developed.

That doesn’t mean you need to go overboard and burn them into the ground, but try exposing them to different projects and putting them in different environments, and ask them things like:

• What takes you outside of your comfort zone?
• What are your career ambitions?
• What would you like to do that you aren’t currently doing?

3. Lack of opportunities

The two are intertwined, but this could be the employee’s internal career opportunities and/or your company’ long-term objectives. You might have a grand plan for the employee’s future within the business, but if they don’t know it, what use is it?

For example, let’s say you have plans in the pipeline to acquire a new business that will create more jobs, responsibility, and managerial progression. But, people don’t know about it, so they feel that there’s little scope for them to work their way up the ladder. For this reason alone (along with a long list of others!), it’s important to be transparent about your business’ vision.

4. Work location or hours

For some employees, your business’ location or their hours might be enough to get them looking elsewhere. That’s not to say you’re doing anything wrong, of course, but perhaps their commute is becoming too much, or their hours no longer fit alongside out-of-work commitments.

Although it might not be practical for every business, if you want the employee to stay and your set-up allows it, it could be worth putting flexible working options on the table to keep hold of them.

5. Change in personal circumstances

Whether they’re relocating to another country, taking time out to travel the world or changing their profession completely, personal circumstances are a common cause for valued employees leaving. Admittedly there’s nothing you can really do about this one, but always keep on good terms, who knows what their future holds!

6. Poor management

More often than not, employees don’t quit because of the business, they quit because of their boss or a bad manager. Even if your culture, perks and location are all perfect, a bad boss can have a really negative impact and lead to employees feeling disengaged and demotivated.

7. An irresistible offer

An employee doesn’t have to have been looking to leave. Sometimes, they might be poached with an offer that’s just too good to turn down – perhaps it’s a big brand name, or the scope to progress is far greater.

If this is the case and you don’t want to let them go, ask what it is about the offer that’s attracted them, and see if there’s a deal that can be done to keep them.

8. Money

We’ve saved this one until last because, usually, money isn’t the main reason valued employees quit. Generally speaking, one or more of the above will be the sticking point, and then the advertised salary elsewhere will be too decent to decline.

The solution? Potentially offer them more dosh if you can, but don’t let that be the end of it. Try to address their other concerns too, otherwise you might find yourself entering a cycle of expected salary increases for them to stay.

Unrivalled value

Whether it’s employee engagement, your business’ culture, flexible working or pay rise requests you’re struggling with, our HR & Employment Law experts are here to help.

To see just how much we can start supporting you and your business today, get in touch with the team on 0345 844 1111 or hello@citation.co.uk.

And if you’re a Citation client, don’t forget, we’re available 24/7 with our advice line.