No matter what industry you’re in, it is vital to know what your employees think and feel about your company and about their positions.

Being part of something special taps into those emotional connections that feed a sense of pride, belonging, and, most importantly, exclusiveness. That “something special” exists exclusively in the connection between the employee and the company. A competing company can offer a boatload of money, but it can’t replicate that something special.

Great employees have unique talents; they want to excel and succeed by doing work that has purpose and meaning. They want to do work that somehow changes and influences lives for the better. They thrive on being part of something that’s innovative and ahead of the competition.

When employees are part of something special, they’re challenged to contribute and deliver their best effort. When a great employee’s contribution makes a difference, it comes with a responsibility and duty to the team and company. Because that responsibility and duty are earned through hard work, the bond between great employees, the team, and the company becomes inherently strong.

Why great employees choose to leave a company?

Poor management performance.

The saying “people leave managers not companies” is very true. Everything rises and falls on leadership.  A sign of a poor manager is when managers overlook problems in the organization especially with individuals. When you fail to confront the issue or when you address everyone (instead of the individual who is causing the issue)- that’s poor management. Another sign of poor management performance is the lack of vision. When a manager has no plan for the organization or doesn’t offer any personal growth opportunities or development for the people- they will leave. No one will follow a leader that’s not going anywhere. People will leave where they feel stagnant and if they don’t see personal or professional advancement.

Lack of employee recognition.

When managers don’t respect their employees, give them credit for their work, or show them appreciation it essentially pushes the employees away from the company. The number one driver of motivation in the long term is being shown appreciation for hard work. Lack of motivation impacts performance and mental health. Though employees seem to understand and fulfill their job responsibilities, at times they can be really motivated when their managers give them guidance. When we say guidance, it doesn’t mean that you breathe down their neck always and micromanage them. Having a culture of employee rewards and recognition within your team or organization helps you and your employees stay transparent about each other’s goals and accomplishments.

Overworked employees.

It’s natural to want your employees to be as productive as possible, and every company will have occasional times that are busier than others. But don’t make the common mistake of wearing out your top talent. To avoid employee burnout, balance your high expectations with solid strategies to prevent employees from becoming overwhelmed. Whenever there is a busy period, enable employees to work at home or work flexible hours. Not commuting to the office can make a huge difference when people are feeling overwhelmed.

Company culture is not a priority.

Company culture can be described as an organization’s brand or personality; it’s what you believe in and stand for, and what makes your company unique. Company culture has everything to do with how employees, prospective employees, customers, and the public perceive your organization.

Company culture is powerful: it can impact sales, profits, recruiting efforts, and employee morale, whether positively or negatively. A great company culture attracts people who want to work or do business with a company. It can inspire employees to be more productive and positive at work while reducing turnover.

No growth opportunities. 

One of the top things most applicants are looking for is future growth or promotional abilities at a new company. If you are part of a large organization, you can probably speak to the promotions past incumbents of the position have received. Career pathing may be a little trickier for smaller organizations that have only seen steady job growth over the years. Employees will leave when they feel that the opportunity to advance their careers is not present at their current employer. If they do not know where their next opportunity will come from, or they see their colleagues getting promotions and they feel stagnant in their position, they will look for opportunities elsewhere.