Millennials are notorious for not sticking around in a company for long. They move on when work begins to seem mundane or boring.
Interestingly, with 360-degree feedback, it is clear that bosses are not the reason for employees to quit. Moreover, amicable work culture is a given norm today and most companies are raising the bar as far as workplace culture is concerned.
Human resource is trying very hard to keep employees engaged so that the attrition rate can be brought down. From its innovation lab, practices are being rolled out to foster a happy work culture.
Then, why are employees quitting?
Ramesh Mitragotri
“The young business school pass-outs often change career direction, There is a growing trend among them to join startups or start one of their own.”
Research says that employees quit when their work ceases to be challenging. This is especially true for workers who are below thirty years of age, because they have just started their careers and are open to experimenting and trying out different jobs before they finally settle down.
“The young business school pass-outs often change career direction,” says Ramesh Mitragotri, CHRO, UltraTech Cement. He adds, “We have fresh recruits, who after working for some time realise that their calling is different. They move on to pursue passions related to their hobbies or join the family business.”
Millennials are more prone to quitting, but so is Gen X and the baby boomers as well if they do not see growth and purpose in their work.
It is clear that employees do not need an external reason to quit. The decision need not be driven by toxic work culture or bosses, but can simply be a personal choice that they are making.
“After entering a particular profession, people feel they are not cut out for it. They quit and join another company to try out a different role,” says Mitragotri.
Even though things appear to be running smoothly in an organisation, workers do quit.
Higher salary, though not the most common reason, still accounts for employees quitting work. After all, who will not like to get paid more for the same number of work hours?
Employees today like to be more involved with the work that they are doing. Merely receiving information and acting upon it is not exciting enough for them. It is very important for them to see how their contribution is fitting into the overall goal of the organisation.
When they fail to see themselves make a mark, they quit to consider other opportunities.
A galore of opportunities is available for the young and daring in the present market. People also do not have any qualms about reskilling and recreating themselves for new ventures.
Entrepreneurs are being born every day. Employees are increasingly quitting jobs to try a hand at the start-up business.
“There is a growing trend among young employees to join startups or start one of their own,” says Mitragotri.
Relocation needs can also influence a worker’s decision to quit. If employees want to be close to their homes and the company does not have an office in that location, they will quit.
Although employee engagement continues to take a lot of HR’s time and attention, employees do not always leave because of a lack of it.
She has been a business writer for a decade now. Besides, she also influences people through motivational workshops. Likes to travel long distances with a book in hand and accounts her travels in a blog. She is very passionate about Yoga and calls it her purpose in life.
1 Comment
Shiladitya Senbarat on
The article does throw light on the issue from a different perspective. That way, it offers a wider ringside view.
However, fact remains that it is most often bosses, super bosses, and the work culture and/or ethos which play a major role. Especially true for employees in the middle to senior cadre.
While young freshmen are prone to experimenting with different roles and workplaces, as they mature, they are more likely to settle down for a longer innings. It is here where the “organisation” comes in. Employee expectations today are not merely confined to monetary compensation, but a whole lot of other benefits like work-life balance, growth prospects, learning opportunities, outbound activities like involvement in CSR and Community Development, etc.
And of course, an issue which may be barely reflected upon officially, the match between employee and employer aspirations. It has been observed from experience, employers seem to have unreasonable expectations of their employees. Untenable targets are loaded on to individuals and teams, sometimes without the necessary infrastructure or backbone to support, leading to disgruntlement and eventual burnout.
It may be of some good to reflect upon these issues, especially in the context of an imperfect labour market in our country.
1 Comment
The article does throw light on the issue from a different perspective. That way, it offers a wider ringside view.
However, fact remains that it is most often bosses, super bosses, and the work culture and/or ethos which play a major role. Especially true for employees in the middle to senior cadre.
While young freshmen are prone to experimenting with different roles and workplaces, as they mature, they are more likely to settle down for a longer innings. It is here where the “organisation” comes in. Employee expectations today are not merely confined to monetary compensation, but a whole lot of other benefits like work-life balance, growth prospects, learning opportunities, outbound activities like involvement in CSR and Community Development, etc.
And of course, an issue which may be barely reflected upon officially, the match between employee and employer aspirations. It has been observed from experience, employers seem to have unreasonable expectations of their employees. Untenable targets are loaded on to individuals and teams, sometimes without the necessary infrastructure or backbone to support, leading to disgruntlement and eventual burnout.
It may be of some good to reflect upon these issues, especially in the context of an imperfect labour market in our country.