Is it even true that people leave managers?
Working in a variety of industries has given me the perspective to definitively state that I disagree with this viewpoint. In reality, I know what it’s like to have to quit a job you love because of a horrible boss.
A small company with a great mission and fantastic employees gave me my first job out of college. Nonetheless, my direct boss was a micromanager who constantly belittled me in front of the team. I tried to tell them how I felt about what they were doing, but they just told me to keep my head down and get my work done. The stress became too great, and I had to find a new place to work. My management created an unwelcoming environment, and although I enjoyed my work and my coworkers, I had to quit the company.
But I’ve also had managers who were supportive and helpful, and they made my time at work much more pleasant. Before, I worked under a supervisor who put their faith in me and gave me plenty of leeway in the workplace. They saw my inexperience and were willing to assist me grow from my mistakes. I’ve always enjoyed my time at their company, therefore I never considered looking elsewhere for employment.
To presume that workers are leaving their employment because of their employers is, in my opinion, just sloppy thinking. It’s usual for companies to blame management for employee turnover rather than investigate root issues. While a strong leader might make you overlook little issues within the company, a weak one can ruin an otherwise pleasant place to do business.
Testing the claim with Culture Amp data
Every attempt should be made to back up claims with data. Culture Amp is an employee feedback and analytics platform that aggregates data from millions of workers across many different sectors.
Culture Amp found that a bad boss is just one of many reasons why an employee would decide to leave their current job. According to their research, the biggest factor in employee turnover is a lack of opportunities for promotion inside an organization, followed by compensation and benefits and finally work-life balance.
Culture Amp also found that employees who get along well with their boss are more loyal to the company, even though a lousy boss isn’t the only reason an employee can leave. Finally, it is important to note that a bad boss is not the only factor in high employee turnover. Businesses that want to retain their employees around should provide opportunities for advancement, pay that is competitive, and allow for a reasonable work-life balance.
What does this mean for organizations?
For a long time, many companies have assumed that poor management is to blame when employees become dissatisfied and decide to leave. Since adopting this basic view, many companies have focused all of their retention efforts on increasing the efficiency of their managers. The “leaving managers” myth is, unfortunately, just that in my opinion.
Even though inefficient management is often a factor in an employee leaving, it is rarely the only cause. A lack of opportunities for advancement, inadequate compensation, a hostile work environment, or a clash of values between the employee and the organization are just some of the reasons why I have seen employees leave their positions. As a matter of fact, a LinkedIn poll conducted in 2018 found that the top three reasons people left their employment were for better career chances, more pay, and a lack of advancement opportunities. Dissatisfaction with management ranked fourth on the list of reasons people left their jobs.
If this is the case, why do so many companies still hold fast to the “leaving managers” myth? Perhaps it’s easier to blame bad management than to investigate the underlying causes of so many employees leaving the organization. The most successful businesses are those who recognize employee retention as a multifaceted challenge and employ a number of strategies to address it. To keep employees around, it’s important to provide them with opportunities for growth and development, as well as competitive compensation and benefits, and a positive work environment.
Here’s what organizations need to know about keeping good people:
1. Management matters, but leadership matters more
In business, the phrases management and leadership are sometimes used interchangeably, while being conceptually distinct. Leadership, in contrast to management, focuses on mobilizing others to achieve a shared objective. I have come to the conclusion that leadership is more important than management based on my experience. Strong leadership is essential in today’s fast-paced business world for any firm that hopes to grow and succeed. Leaders have an impact on their teams and the organization as a whole by setting an example in terms of behavior, values, and vision.
To achieve greater results, efficiency, and creativity, good leaders must inspire their staff. They create a positive work environment where employees feel valued and have opportunities to grow. They encourage a level of quality that drives advancement, to put it succinctly. When it comes to the results of poor leadership, however, the opposite is true. In the absence of leadership, employees may lose interest in their work and become demotivated. Furthermore, bad leaders can create a toxic work environment that kills creativity and prevents people from working together. This can lead to high employee turnover and subpar performance, which is terrible for business.
Competent day-to-day management isn’t enough to ensure a company’s long-term prosperity, though. Organizational leaders need the ability to inspire their teams and steer them in the right direction. The caliber of an organization’s leadership is proportional to its success in recruiting and retaining talented employees, developing new products and services, and expanding into new markets.
2. People blame managers when they should be blaming the system
It’s often held that a company’s fortunes rise and fall with its top brass. Managers are accountable for the company’s performance through their decisions on everything from staffing to strategy. However, when things do go wrong, managers are often made to shoulder the blame. How logical is that? Should upper-level management always bear the brunt of blame when things go wrong? In most cases, it’s not the management’s fault but the system’s.
One of the main causes of stress in the workplace is people’s propensity to point fingers. When faced with misfortune, the human tendency is to place blame. People are too afraid to try new things and risk failure, which leads to a stagnant culture. In any business, you will make mistakes; the key is to view them as opportunities for growth.
Inadequate support for managers is another issue. Many managers are tasked with doing the impossible with little resources and time. Employee burnout and turnover are common results of overwork and insufficient pay. Investing in managers means providing them with the resources and education they need to accomplish their jobs effectively. There is also some wiggle room in the system. Top-down management and antiquated policies are only two of the ways in which the system can work against its intended purpose. To increase output and efficiency, businesses should evaluate current procedures and make necessary changes.
What does your data say about your retention?
I know firsthand how important it is to address retention issues after leaving a company due to a lack of promotion opportunities and unacceptable leadership. When I first started this job, I was excited to learn new things and broaden my horizons. However, as time went on, I realized there were no genuine opportunities to advance my career. I felt like I was at a standstill in my career.
The managers in my section lacked energy and an interest in their employees’ success. There was a lack of feedback and few compliments for good work. This made me hate going to work, and eventually I stopped going.
My only regret is that leadership wasn’t quicker to address our staff turnover. More opportunities for development and improvement, such as training and mentoring, may have been provided. They may have also invested in managerial training to enhance their leadership and interpersonal communication abilities.
I felt it was time to look for a new job when I realized there was little chance for promotion and the office environment was negative. Since then, I’ve thrived in my new role, broadening my professional horizons in ways I never thought possible.