There has been a fundamental shift in people's attitudes towards their jobs and what makes them stay.
John, 42, a lawyer is typical of today’s new self-managing worker. He is aware of his value on the street and frequently fields calls from head hunters.
But despite the lure of big signing bonuses, he's staying put. He's learning a lot at his current job, he's working with interesting people, and he likes his clients.
Retention has become one of the most pressing business priorities not only because of a declining pool of talent but also because of a fundamental shift in people’s attitudes towards job mobility.
Financial incentives, which are among the most popular organizational strategies to respond to this issue will ultimately backfire, as they speak to people at an instrumental rather than a human level. What they will do is restrain, contain, delay a person’s decision to jump ship. What they will not do is engage or inspire people, and are therefore at best only a short-term palliative.
Most people do not leave organizations for more money, but to meet personal needs: whether to be intellectually challenged, to contribute to something they believe in, to spend more time with their families, or to do work that makes them feel valued and appreciated.
The stressors which lead to turnover fall into two categories — systemic and personal.
Systemic stressors are pervasive across an organization, unpleasant to most, and although easy to identify are resistant to change, being almost embedded in the organization's DNA.
Common examples include the institutionalization of leanness, the politics of overwork, lack of opportunities for women, and an inability to do meaningful work while still maintaining a satisfying personal life. Personal stressors relate to the degree to which work meets or doesn’t meet individual needs -- which, by definition, vary from one person to another.
Although managers can certainly play a role in responding to systemic issues by pushing back and changing the culture, they are particularly effective in responding to personal issues, although this is a role they do not always embrace.
When senior managers complained about not having policies for telling them how to respond to staff stress, for example, David D., the vice-president of human resources for a pharmaceutical company correctly commented “We don’t need another f...ing policy. You’ve got a brain, you’ve got a heart. Use them. That’s why we pay you the big money.”
The reasons people leave organizations are not complicated. Nor are solutions to address fundamental issues which influence how an individual feels about themselves and their work:
Reframe the challenge
Instead of asking “what do I need to do to keep you?” ask “what do I need to do to ensure you are happy and engaged by your work?”
Think like a marketer by appealing to the heart as well as the mind and the pocketbook. The new worker is loyal to her work and the people she works with or for. Excite people through the challenges of the work, not by the company they work for.
Promote career self-assessment
One common reason people leave jobs is that they imagine that other people in other jobs are getting tons of stock options and bonuses, more love and appreciation for their work, and maybe even time for a life. At the same time, they underestimate how their job is in fact a better match than they think it is.
Most people who go through a career assessment are surprised to discover they are actually much happier than they thought.
Often, one or two things have had a disproportionate impact in colouring how they feel - they have generalized from the specific “I want more teamwork” to “I can’t stand this job.”
They learn they can reduce the impact of things they don’t like, or else balance them against positives. For example Paula, 30, wished she didn’t have to travel so much. But she concluded it was worth putting up with because she was working with incredible people and getting experience that would increase her options in the long-term.
Managers need to ask staff what it is that is most important to them and how can they support them in getting what they want.
Unfortunately, most people cannot readily identify exactly what they want or need. That makes career discussions a frustrating exercise for managers, who complain about having to “play therapist.”
When people have gone through a career self-assessment they are more able to articulate exactly what they want more and less of, and their ideal working environment. Getting at this information is crucial for managers concerned about retention, telling them what they need to do to keep their people.
Know what you cannot change
Some of these needs can be addressed and some cannot. For example, there will always be people who are unhappy because of a fundamental mismatch between their needs and the mission of the organization.
A person who has decided to change in mid-career from the for-profit sector who is looking to give something back to society, or someone who can't take even the most benign office politics, is going to leave no matter what you do. These are not problems an organization or manager can address in a meaningful way.
Improve work-life balance
Work-life balance is an issue everyone is struggling with and is probably the most significant bargaining chip an employer has.
The new worker aggressively evaluates the effort-reward equation. When people are working 100 hours a week they are vulnerable to approaches from recruiters who promise either significantly more money or more discretionary control over their time. Sabbaticals, alternative work arrangements, telecommuting - everyone by now knows the drill about what today’s harried worker needs, yet the report card on what organizations are actually doing is pitiful.
Provide skill building and boredom-fighting new experiences
Feeling overworked and under-challenged is one of the most common forms of contemporary career stress. When people get bored they will look for a new career opportunity.
Although they are correct in their assessment that they are unhappy, the solution they come up with - a career move - may be overkill. People can be rejuvenated through a minor shift in work focus, a new set of collegial relationships or professional development. Smart managers will be creative in reshaping assignments to reengage staff intellectually.
Managers recognize contributions associated with each individual worker
Managers play a pivotal role in influencing how people feel about their work. People do not quit organizations - they quit bosses. Managers are so frenzied by their own demanding commitments they fail to notice individual contributions.
“When you screw up they notice,” people say, “but when you are doing really fine work it's not seen”. Feeling unappreciated is one of the most common complaints I hear, yet it is the easiest to correct.
The best method is to say thank you, and act like you mean it, with consistent performance appraisals and bonuses.
Barbara Moses is president of BBM Human Resource Consutlants Inc., an organizational career management firm (www.BBMcareerdev.com). Her latest book is The Good News About Careers: How You'll Be Working In The Next Decade.
But despite the lure of big signing bonuses, he's staying put. He's learning a lot at his current job, he's working with interesting people, and he likes his clients.
Retention has become one of the most pressing business priorities not only because of a declining pool of talent but also because of a fundamental shift in people’s attitudes towards job mobility.
Financial incentives, which are among the most popular organizational strategies to respond to this issue will ultimately backfire, as they speak to people at an instrumental rather than a human level. What they will do is restrain, contain, delay a person’s decision to jump ship. What they will not do is engage or inspire people, and are therefore at best only a short-term palliative.
Most people do not leave organizations for more money, but to meet personal needs: whether to be intellectually challenged, to contribute to something they believe in, to spend more time with their families, or to do work that makes them feel valued and appreciated.
The stressors which lead to turnover fall into two categories — systemic and personal.
Systemic stressors are pervasive across an organization, unpleasant to most, and although easy to identify are resistant to change, being almost embedded in the organization's DNA.
Common examples include the institutionalization of leanness, the politics of overwork, lack of opportunities for women, and an inability to do meaningful work while still maintaining a satisfying personal life. Personal stressors relate to the degree to which work meets or doesn’t meet individual needs -- which, by definition, vary from one person to another.
Although managers can certainly play a role in responding to systemic issues by pushing back and changing the culture, they are particularly effective in responding to personal issues, although this is a role they do not always embrace.
When senior managers complained about not having policies for telling them how to respond to staff stress, for example, David D., the vice-president of human resources for a pharmaceutical company correctly commented “We don’t need another f...ing policy. You’ve got a brain, you’ve got a heart. Use them. That’s why we pay you the big money.”
The reasons people leave organizations are not complicated. Nor are solutions to address fundamental issues which influence how an individual feels about themselves and their work:
Reframe the challenge
Instead of asking “what do I need to do to keep you?” ask “what do I need to do to ensure you are happy and engaged by your work?”
Think like a marketer by appealing to the heart as well as the mind and the pocketbook. The new worker is loyal to her work and the people she works with or for. Excite people through the challenges of the work, not by the company they work for.
Promote career self-assessment
One common reason people leave jobs is that they imagine that other people in other jobs are getting tons of stock options and bonuses, more love and appreciation for their work, and maybe even time for a life. At the same time, they underestimate how their job is in fact a better match than they think it is.
Most people who go through a career assessment are surprised to discover they are actually much happier than they thought.
Often, one or two things have had a disproportionate impact in colouring how they feel - they have generalized from the specific “I want more teamwork” to “I can’t stand this job.”
They learn they can reduce the impact of things they don’t like, or else balance them against positives. For example Paula, 30, wished she didn’t have to travel so much. But she concluded it was worth putting up with because she was working with incredible people and getting experience that would increase her options in the long-term.
Managers need to ask staff what it is that is most important to them and how can they support them in getting what they want.
Unfortunately, most people cannot readily identify exactly what they want or need. That makes career discussions a frustrating exercise for managers, who complain about having to “play therapist.”
When people have gone through a career self-assessment they are more able to articulate exactly what they want more and less of, and their ideal working environment. Getting at this information is crucial for managers concerned about retention, telling them what they need to do to keep their people.
Know what you cannot change
Some of these needs can be addressed and some cannot. For example, there will always be people who are unhappy because of a fundamental mismatch between their needs and the mission of the organization.
A person who has decided to change in mid-career from the for-profit sector who is looking to give something back to society, or someone who can't take even the most benign office politics, is going to leave no matter what you do. These are not problems an organization or manager can address in a meaningful way.
Improve work-life balance
Work-life balance is an issue everyone is struggling with and is probably the most significant bargaining chip an employer has.
The new worker aggressively evaluates the effort-reward equation. When people are working 100 hours a week they are vulnerable to approaches from recruiters who promise either significantly more money or more discretionary control over their time. Sabbaticals, alternative work arrangements, telecommuting - everyone by now knows the drill about what today’s harried worker needs, yet the report card on what organizations are actually doing is pitiful.
Provide skill building and boredom-fighting new experiences
Feeling overworked and under-challenged is one of the most common forms of contemporary career stress. When people get bored they will look for a new career opportunity.
Although they are correct in their assessment that they are unhappy, the solution they come up with - a career move - may be overkill. People can be rejuvenated through a minor shift in work focus, a new set of collegial relationships or professional development. Smart managers will be creative in reshaping assignments to reengage staff intellectually.
Managers recognize contributions associated with each individual worker
Managers play a pivotal role in influencing how people feel about their work. People do not quit organizations - they quit bosses. Managers are so frenzied by their own demanding commitments they fail to notice individual contributions.
“When you screw up they notice,” people say, “but when you are doing really fine work it's not seen”. Feeling unappreciated is one of the most common complaints I hear, yet it is the easiest to correct.
The best method is to say thank you, and act like you mean it, with consistent performance appraisals and bonuses.
Barbara Moses is president of BBM Human Resource Consutlants Inc., an organizational career management firm (www.BBMcareerdev.com). Her latest book is The Good News About Careers: How You'll Be Working In The Next Decade.
