15% is the average turnover rate in France, but many companies have a much higher rate. . And when this is due to a large number of departures, it’s a real problem. Employee departures can have a significant financial cost for the company. When someone leaves, we often have to find, hire and train someone to replace them. But that’s not all: departures can also take their toll on team morale and workload, disrupting the company and slowing or even preventing growth. There can be many reasons for these departures, and the best way to understand the situation and respond effectively is to survey your teams, asking those who remain how they feel, what they are satisfied and dissatisfied with, and what they need. Survey them to understand what needs to change in the company to make them feel better and more committed. Here, however, is a non-exhaustive list of 9 reasons why employees leave their company.

Your employees are leaving you….

1. Because their opinions and ideas are not taken into account

Your employees have ideas and opinions, and they need to be able to express them and have their opinions and ideas taken into account. If you present them with a business project they haven’t been involved in, they won’t buy into it as easily, and won’t make it their own. To feel committed, your employees need to be involved, to participate, to co-construct, to have their say on the changes that concern them.

2. Because the “employee promise” is not being kept

You’ve made marketing efforts to develop your employer brand, to attract and recruit your employees, highlighting your company’s “cool” values, presenting yourself as an environment where everyone is “happy” and “beautiful” like on an instagram account. But the reality is different. The values expressed and dreamed of are not necessarily applied, managers are not exemplary, the fundamental needs of employees are not taken into account, and it won’t take long for your new recruits to realize this. This gap hurts.

3. Because they found better elsewhere

Today, usage and behavior have changed significantly. We’re inundated with information, we compare, we look elsewhere, we observe the lives of others on the walls of personal and professional social networks, and we easily zap from one provider to another if the offer is more attractive elsewhere. In the same way, employees are also ready to switch easily from one employer to another if the offer seems more interesting, if the grass seems greener there, rightly or wrongly.

4. Because they feel there’s only enough for the company and not enough for them.

Employees are increasingly critical of their company, and they’re not fooled. Short-termism, the pursuit of profit for shareholders or the enrichment of founders who want to make a financial splash as soon as possible, unequal sharing of value creation. And they are also critical of the transformation projects you propose to them. Digital transformation, machine learning, robotization and automation that aim to reduce costs and replace labor to increase profits. They’ll want to leave you if they think the “deal” between the company and its employees is unfair, and if the human element is not sufficiently taken into account.

5. Because they don’t grow or progress

Your employees will want to leave you if they feel they no longer have the prospect of growing with you. And this feeling of not being able to grow or progress can have several origins. No promotions, no new positions, no new missions or projects, no new responsibilities, no mobility within the company, no new challenges, no training, no new customers or teammates, no career plan, no visibility. No future.

6. Because they don’t feel respected, considered or valued

Recognition is a fundamental need for every man and woman. And your employees expect to be respected, recognized and considered at work. If not, they won’t feel at home with you. When we talk about recognition, we can refer to the level of remuneration, material benefits, titles or status, but not only that. Recognition is first and foremost respect, the feeling that you’re valued as a person, that you’re spoken to properly, that you’re paid attention to, that you’re told “hello”, “how are you?” and “thank you”. It’s also the recognition and appreciation of our efforts, our work and our results. Finally, it’s the feeling of being useful, of being valued in one’s function within the company.

7. Because they don’t find meaning in their work

Your employees are looking for meaning in their lives and in their work. They need to know that what they’re doing has impact, is useful, is important. If the company project is unclear or uninspiring, they will disengage. They also want to work for a company that has a positive impact on the world. And beyond the company project, they may also leave you to give new meaning to their lives, reinvent themselves, change careers and find an activity more in line with their aspirations and values.

8. Because their manager is not a coach

Many employees leave their company because of their managers. “Managing” is a difficult job, and employees have high expectations of their managers these days. Employees expect their manager to act as a coach, to encourage them, to be a good listener, to give them regular feedback on their work and performance, to help them find solutions, to promote transparency in their exchanges, to help them grow and progress continuously, to take an interest in their professional and personal development, to solicit and take into account their points of view, opinions and feelings.

9. Because they had already planned to leave you when they joined you

You didn’t know it, but they were already planning to leave you when they joined you. The new generations don’t necessarily imagine a linear career, and don’t plan to stay with the same company for long. They prefer a series of experiences. It’s not you, it’s them. They need change, novelty and diversity, and want to be able to move on when they want to. Teaching a master’s degree in business school, I asked my students how long they planned to stay with their next employer. 70% of them answered between 2 and 3 years…

To go further

At WINGMIND, we conduct employee surveys to assess employee well-being and engagement, and identify areas for improvement.