Causes for employee turnover are revealed in well-designed exit interviews. Having an understanding of the controllable and uncontrollable turnover causes in your company, and learning what to look for in an employee that may be preparing to quit, can help an employer with employee retention. And perhaps mitigate the undesirable exits from occurring thereby saving extensive cost from turnover.

Such warning signs include:

1) Behavior – Negative behavioral changes that differ from the employee’s previous behavior, such as continually disappearing for unexplained, extended amounts of time.

2) Increased Absence or Unusual Lateness – may illustrate the lack of importance the job has begun to have in the employee’s life or indicate the employee is attending job interviews.

3) Loss of Drive – Lack of excitement or interest when discussing upcoming company and client changes or future projects.

4) Attitude – An overall negative attitude towards company changes, policies or standards.

5) Disengagement – Disconnected from team members and a general loss of enthusiasm.

6) Decreased Work Quality – Decline in quality of work shows that their focus is not on the job at hand.

Recognizing Warning Signs & Reducing Employee Turnover

Staying aware of these early turnover signals can help managers address issues with potential exiting employees when a warning sign first occurs. If they are an individual the company wants to retain, discussing the problem early on could help remedy the situation before the employee accepts other employment. Help reduce employee turnover and avoid these types of situations by creating regular “check in” meetings with your employees to give them opportunities to address their concerns. Use the three magic questions: What’s working well for you in this job? What isn’t working? What do you need most from me as your manager?

An employee may perceive their only action is to leave when alternatives may actually exist. If they are unwilling to bring the issue forward for discussion, the opportunity is lost. “Check in” meetings or regular open lines of communication will allow an individual to express how the job might be changed to meet their needs. As a manager, ask the employee “what would the ideal job look like for you?”

(HSD brings you a Turnover Tuesday blog post every week with comments we’ve obtained through our proprietary ExitRight program. This comment is from an actual employee who have who was exiting one of our client’s companies. The names of both the interviewee and the company they left are both kept confidential. We encourage you to return weekly to read our Turnover Tuesday blog post in hopes that it will to help you control turnover among employees within your organization.)

The Solution
ExitRight interviews include the opportunity for former employees to select from 13 controllable turnover causes that contributed to their reason for leaving. All of the core controllable turnover causes include external benchmarks. For each employee turnover cause selected, comments are requested explaining the reason behind the selection whether the interview is completed by paper, web, or with one of our professional phone interviewers. The comment above was included on the turnover cause focused on Company policies and practices. The commentary provides a rich source of retention solutions that may be adopted.

Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions toward one or more employees with the intent to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or create a risk to the health or safety of the employee(s). Activities can include one or more of the following:

• Verbal abuse (being shouted at)

• Blame without factual justification

• Offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating

• Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done

According to surveys, over one-third of employees have experienced bullying at work. Some of the costs to employers included increased absences and medical claims/costs, lost productivity and legal claims, etc.

Although no laws currently prohibit workplace bullying in the U.S. unless it involves harassment based on race/color, religion, national origin, gender, age, retaliation for filing a whistleblower complaint, etc., a number of proposals are pending in the states.

What can employers do? The following are a selection of ideas for what companies can do to prevent workplace bullying.

• Adopt and enforce a zero tolerance anti-bullying policy which has the full support of top management. Communicate the policy to all employees so they know the company’s expectations with respect to bullying.

• When bullying behavior is witnessed or reported, investigate the situation immediately.

• Treat bullying as a performance issue.

• Investigate the extent and nature of the problem by conducting employee engagement surveys.

• Include workplace bullying in supervisor/management training.

• User available counseling resources such as employee assistance programs.

(Turnover Tuesday is a written weekly by Deb Dwyer, the President and Owner of Human Systems Development. The comment this blog is written about was collected through ExitRight, HSD’s exit interview program. The name of this exiting employee and the company they left are kept completely confidential in order to protect the privacy of our clients.)

The Solution
The critical remark in this comment was that the employee was told there was a mentor program and when the employee asked about it after being on the job, nothing happened. This is not a good way to build a good relationship with any employee. It is entirely possible that the employee misunderstood what was being said during the interviewing process. If this is the case, talk with the employee and find out what can be put in place to help the employee be successful on the job.

Orienting a person transferring into a new department is not much different than onboarding a new employee. Many of the same things apply. Managers need to make sure the new employee has a clear understanding of what is expected with respect to the work to be performed each day, the work schedule, the work hours, etc. Managers also need to ensure the applicable on-the-job training or mentoring is provided. If these two items are not part of the orientation to the new department, the employee is set up for failure. In this case, the employee left before she failed.
Companies can minimize the risk of failure be developing and implementing a formal onboarding process for new and/or employees transferring within the company.

This process can as simple as:

• Introducing employees to co-workers and others they will be working with.

• Ensuring employees have a clear understanding of expectations, goals, and objectives.

• Providing on-the-job training.

• Make sure employees have access to the tools and equipment required to do the job.

• Being available to answer questions, provide coaching regarding job performance, and be supportive.

The goal here is to create an environment whereby employees can be successful on the job.

(Turnover Tuesday is a weekly blog post written by the President and Owner of Human Systems Development, Deb Dwyer. This comment was collected through HSD’s exit interview program called ExitRight. This weekly article is formed around an actual comment from an anonymous employee exiting one of our client’s workforces. The name of this exiting employee and the company they are leaving are kept completely confidential in order to protect the privacy of our clients.)

The Solution
This comment offers great insight into how a supervisor’s actions or lack of actions can create stress in the workplace which ultimately resulted in a turnover. We all have had a manager who was unorganized, didn’t share information, didn’t follow through, didn’t communicate and on and on and didn’t realize how that causes stress to employees. Not only does stress in the workplace contribute to turnover, but the hidden cost of stress is far reaching. Let’s face it, everyone has stress in their life. According to the Holmes-Rahe Life Events Scale, which rates levels of stress caused by life event, many of the most stressful events in life are related to the workplace, including “trouble with the boss”.

Studies tell us that nearly two-thirds of Americans say work is a main source of stress in their lives. The cost of stress is $200 to $300 billion a year in lost productivity, absenteeism, healthcare costs, and other stress-related expenses. Reducing stressful situations for employees can increase employee retention”. Supervisors and managers can play an important role in minimizing stress by doing the following:

• Take time with new employees to introduce them to the department, their peers and co-workers, identify resources available to them, ensure they have the proper equipment and tools to do their jobs, etc.

• Always let employees know what is expected of them and make sure the work is aligned with their skills and capabilities.

• Clearly define roles and responsibilities.

• Monitor workload to ensure it is not unreasonable. Remember if someone is continually working more than 50 hours a week there is a good chance you have more than one job.

• Follow through on promises; and if you cannot, talk with employees.

• Have periodic touch point meetings with your employees to find out how things are going and what you can do to help.

• Most importantly, listen to your employees…good managers have good listening skills.

(President and Owner of Human Systems Development, Deb Dwyer, provides you with this Turnover Tuesday post. This comment was collected through ExitRight, HSD’s proprietary exit interview software, from an anonymous exiting employee from a client’s workplace. To protect the privacy of our clients, we have kept the name of the exiting employee and the company they are leaving, completely confidential.)

The Solution
This is an area where employee perceptions may be at the heart of their dissatisfaction, but perceptions are reality. How many times have you heard employees say “only my manager’s friends advanced”, “I discussed with management my desire to advance and there was no movement” or “I asked for training but there was none”. So, what can organizations do to overcome these perceptions?

Start with defining and communicating the company’s policy and process for seeking new employment opportunities, while improving employee onboarding. If you look at best practices, companies go beyond the written word. They hold formal training sessions to help employees understand specific job requirements, with on-line resources that are available to help acquire skills, and what their responsibilities are for advancement. Today’s work environment is much more complex and skill-based, requiring employees to make a personal commitment to acquire additional skills. If you look at current job reports coming from industry and the government, there are many open positions that cannot be filled due to lack of skills. This is the new environment.

Add a personal development plan to your performance management process. Make this a collaborative effort between employees and managers to find out what employees’ career desires are, help them create goals and action plans, and follow their progress throughout the year.

There may be times when promotional opportunities are just not available, but there may be opportunities for on the job training. These opportunities can be identified by reviewing employees’ current job duties to see where responsibilities can be moved among staff members, thereby increasing skill levels and bench strength within a department. The key is keeping employees engaged and growing their skills so they can be ready when promotional opportunities become available.

Ultimately, your efforts will pay off for the company by increasing employee involvement, improving the overall skill level of the organization, and reducing turnover.

(Turnover Tuesday is written on a weekly basis by Deb Dwyer, President and Owner of Human Systems Development. HSD provided the exit interview service with an actual exiting employee, who provided the above comment. For the privacy of our clients, we have kept the name of this person and the company they are leaving are kept completely confidential.)

The Solution
This comment is a powerful statement by a former employee who really wanted to continue working for her employer, but the employer just wasn’t able to respond to her need for a different work arrangement. Most traditional employers would likely respond in the same way. Solutions to the changing needs and priorities of employees and employers can be found in one idea – workplace flexibility. Many leading-edge organizations are implementing workplace flexibility programs, such as flex time, compressed work weeks, job sharing, and part time, to retain talent and knowledge in the workplace. Workplace flexibility is another way of strengthening the employer – employee contract, redefining the culture of the organization, and most importantly retaining valued employees.

There are multiple reasons employers are implementing workplace flexibility programs. Employers want to retain valued employees. They are seeing improved employee health and productivity. Employees who are given flexibility are more likely to give back and are more loyal. Workplace flexibility drives morale and job satisfaction. Remember, more engaged employees mean more productive employees.

Employees of all generations now value flexible work options but in very different ways. As an employer, are you open to requests for flexible work options? If you do not have a formal workplace flexibility initiative in place, have you considered the benefits of workplace flexibility? Are you willing to lose valuable employees and their knowledge? Is it worth the cost of turnover to not explore flexible work options as an important part of your overall business strategy?

Workplace flexibility has become so important to retention, engagement and productivity that it now defines “employers of choice”.

(Turnover Tuesday is a weekly post written by Deb Dwyer, President and Owner of Human Systems Development. The comment this article was based around is from an actual employee who took an exit interview provided by HSD. The name of this person and the company they are leaving are kept completely confidential. Visit us next week for a brand new Turnover Tuesday article.)

The Solution
Everyone likes to be appreciated and recognized for their hard work – specifically after you’ve spent 30 years of your life dedicated to one company. Employees are always observing the behaviors of management and in a case such as this, evaluating how they themselves will be treated after years of service.

A lack of recognition is third in importance as a turnover cause for healthcare and fifth in importance for ExitRight’s non-healthcare clients from a list of 13 controllable, employee influenced turnover causes. Exit interview commentary demonstrates the power of having well-designed recognition systems as a tool for employee retention improvements.

The commentary in ExitRight (Human System Development’s exit interview survey program) often includes specific methods the company might employ to increase recognition and appreciation, and reduce employee turnover.

The best employee recognition programs include three elements:

1. Prestigious Formal Awards – For significant accomplishments that often have a considerable financial amount awarded to the employee. Examples include – Employee Excellence Award, Innovation of the Year Award, Business Process Improvement Annual Award, No Lost Time Accidents, 30 years of service or more, Customer Focus Award are all examples of such significant tributes and accomplishments. Employees may nominate people and a recognition team, then make the recommendations for such awards. Because the dollar amount is more significant, there are greater checks and balances with these types of awards.

2. Extra Mile Award – A quick $100 thank you goes a long way to show appreciation for those who go beyond what the job entails. Other examples include tickets to a sporting event or concert, gift certificates for health spas or massages, an extra day off, or a dinner for two at your favorite restaurant. While thousands of ideas are possible, the success driver is making people aware of the practice, and requiring a simple one up approval process with a dollar amount set as a limit.

3. Job Well Done Award – Public praise and private criticism is a common expression. An informal job well done expression of appreciation helps reinforce the behavior desired of individuals at work. A thank you, a kind written note, a Job Well Done Certificate Board, an email with copies to peers all add to the “someone noticed, someone cared” retention attitude of a company.

These are just a few employee recognition ideas. Employee recognition systems can be tailored to your specific industry as long as they primarily act as a motivator for the employees within your organization.

(This Turnover Tuesday post is a small portion of comments we have compiled through exit interviews that have been conducted in the workplace with ExitRight. We value the privacy of our clients. Their names, as well as the name of the person who provided this comment are kept completely confidential. Turnover Tuesday can help you increase retention within your organization by learning primary causes for employee turnover.)

The Solution
Although there are signs the economy may be improving, job security concerns continue to be a primary cause of voluntary turnover. HSD’s ExitRight research shows that exiting employees with the highest performance ratings, place greater importance on job security as a turnover cause. Employees know job loss is a risk when business conditions decline.

What are the alternatives available when exit data suggests turnover is influenced by job security concerns? Are layoffs avoidable? Exit interview data reveals what demographic groups, business units, locations, and functions place greatest importance on job security. With this information, strategies may be developed to preserve the long term retention of the employee.

Some organizations have implemented innovative programs to help renew the employer – employee contract but in very different ways. Developing new programs that offer employees partial salaries (examples include 20% to 30% of their pay) plus reduced benefits for a specified period of time may be possible while the business recovers. Working half-time, job sharing, or offering voluntary leaves all help the company reduce costs by retaining the employee for the long-term, thereby avoiding costly training and hiring when the economy recovers. Depending on the employer offering the program, employees may be able to take another job (but not with a competitor) or may be asked to work at a non-profit organization associated with the organization. At the end of the specified time period, employees at the companies sponsoring these practices were able to work full-time again and most employees did return to full-time employment.

These companies have replaced layoffs and severance programs or employee buyouts with a creative solution that helped make the employer – employee contract stronger while reducing employees’ fears about losing their jobs. In addition, employers were able to reduce overhead and retain talent. This is a “win – win” for everyone.

(Human Systems Development brings you Turnover Tuesday every week with comments we’ve obtained through our proprietary exit interview software called ExitRight. These comments are from actual employees who have left one of our client’s companies. The names of both the interviewee and company are kept completely confidential. Return weekly to HSD’s blog and use our Turnover Tuesday tidbits to help you control turnover among employees within your organization.)

The Solution
Carefully reading the commentary that is included in exit interview results is a valuable way to really understand the emotion behind interview responses. The cost of recognition, appreciation and support is often the time you spend recognizing your employees. During these economic times when salary increases continue to be under 3%, organizations can overcome employees’ dissatisfaction or disappointment of not receiving higher salary increases by increasing recognition, appreciation and support.

So, what can employers do? How about a simple “thank you” when employees go above and beyond their typical job duties to help complete a project. While money is nice, verbally acknowledging a job well done is a very powerful message.

If you have an intranet site, create a column to recognize those whose accomplishments warrant attention; employees who work on special projects, those who are there for the organization whenever you need to get the job done, someone who steps up to help others when they are in need, are just a few examples. Create an internal brand of “thank you” notes for employees and managers to send to each other.

Supporting employees is as easy as being available when they need to discuss a situation they are having difficulty with and showing you care about them as employees and individuals. Recognition goes a long way in helping to retain employees. Remember, even though we do not have a robust economy, good employees can always find new jobs.

(HSD brings you this weekly Turnover Tuesday blog as a way to help you improve your workplace. These real-life comments are taken from existing exit interviews we, as a company, have conducted. The name of the commenting employee, along with the company’s name are kept confidential to protect our valued clients. Stop back next Tuesday for more exit interview comments of why people leave their jobs.)

The Solution
Having a proper onboarding process for new hires is a valuable way to achieve employee retention. New hires should be aware of dress code and company policies before they start employment within an organization. In this case, it seems as if the employee may have been ill-informed or they were simply not paying attention to company policies when they accepted the position. In any case, HSD’s ExitRight® exit interviews can highlight the issue, so management can make sure future hires are aware of existing company procedures or consider changing the practices.

HSD’s ExitRight® services show controllable turnover causes with all the comments grouped by turnover cause theme. The above comment occurred when the exiting employee was asked if company policies and practices contributed to their decision to leave. By making it easy to see all other remarks about policies gathered from exiting employees, the employer is able to determine what policies are in need of revision, deletion, or correction. Trends such as this may persuade an employer to change certain benefits throughout the company, such as flexibility in work schedules or a more relaxed dress code. Such changes could help the competitiveness of the company’s hiring process, which could increase employee retention and reduce the cost of turnover by finding employees who are looking for these features within an organization.

(Turnover Tuesday was created to present our readers with real life comments, made by actual employees, of why they left an organization. This information was gathered from Human System Development’s ExitRight® program; therefore we do not divulge the company or employee names of where these comments were collected from).