Staff turnover: the factors that could be increasing it, and how to avoid them

There are many factors to consider when it comes to staff turnover – but while some may be inevitable, such as retirement, a change in career, or even moving away, others can be controlled. 

Employee wellbeing experts Loopin have highlighted six of the major factors in the workplace that could lead to a high staff turnover, from lack of opportunities to overworked staff. 

Little opportunity for growth 

By not providing any opportunities for employees to progress, it can cause them to feel stuck in their role and feel as though their hard work and commitment isn’t recognised. A different company that can offer a role of higher authority will eventually become more appealing after plenty of time in the same role – not only for income, but to further demonstrate their skills. 

Offering promotions for existing employees rather than hiring externally is one way to provide opportunities for growth. Communication is key in this instance to ensure that staff have clarity on how they need to perform in order for this to be possible, for example a checklist of targets over a realistic time frame – this way, both you and the employees can assess how close they are to the next step. Alternatively, providing relevant training courses for staff allows them to educate themselves and stay up to date with the sector, thus being an excellent opportunity for growth. 

Lack of feedback 

Offering feedback to employees is a small implementation that can go far – not only does it show recognition, but it also is a huge factor that can help them succeed. Feedback allows your employee to see areas that need more work, thus allowing their performance to improve. 

Regular 1-1s are a great opportunity to provide feedback, as it provides staff with the chance to address any areas, they are particularly struggling in. As an employer, you can ask questions to discover more about their goals, such as the direction they wish to head in their career. From this, the appropriate measures can be taken, whether that be shadowing another employee or offering training.  

Micromanagement 

While micromanagement may work in some instances, such as closely tracking new employees to nip any small mistakes in the bud, it has its disadvantages that can drive employees away. Not only does it limit creativity, but it also implies that you don’t trust the staff to make the right decisions on their own. Lack of innovation can lead to burnout, which not only damages the process within the company, but it’s likely that the staff will find a role with more freedom. 

You can avoid micromanagement by choosing the right person for the job based on their strengths and goals. Delegating will not only make you feel more confident in leaving them to complete tasks without your overseeing eye, but it will be easier to draw away from telling them how to do the job correctly. Managing expectations instead of tasks is essential to zone out of the micromanagement phase and gives your staff more freedom. 

Lack of flexible working 

From working remotely to having alternative start and finish times to the normal hours, flexible working offers a practical solution for employers. It can help those using public transport, staff who are faced with lots of traffic on their commute, and employees who need to take their children to school, to name a few. Having flexible working in place makes employees lives easier and offers a better work-life balance; without it, employees may turn to a different company that does provide this benefit. 

To incorporate flexible working into the organisation, you can start by selecting the core working hours in which every employee must be present – but outside of this, staff can decide when they start and finish. On top of this, switching to a hybrid workplace where employees split their time between the workplace and working remotely can increase productivity and allows them to use their time more efficiently – not to mention, it’s an attractive factor to job-seekers. 

Overworking employees 

Sometimes, it can be a necessity for employees to take on more responsibilities, for example when someone leaves the company and their role has not yet been taken over. With that being said, it’s vital that managers monitor the workload of all employees to ensure that it can be managed without affecting their stress levels, productivity, and personal life. Without doing so, staff may search for another role that will be better suited for a work-life balance and won’t contribute to stress or burnout. 

This is another area where a 1-1 is particularly useful, as you can use the time to ask questions to your employer about how they are finding the workload and alter it based on their answers. Additionally, an employee wellbeing strategy is an implementation that can transform your workplace to be a healthy and happy environment by providing support to employees who are feeling stressed, perhaps due to the workload, and helping them to thrive. 

Hiring the wrong candidate 

Hiring the wrong person for the job will not only affect the company, but it can also impact the employee too – so it’s important to choose a candidate who is a great fit for the role, not just to fill the position quickly. The perfect candidate may not be able to start immediately, you need to be patient instead of hiring a candidate who may not have as many of the desired qualities but can start straight away. You may soon find that the latter’s inability to meet all the needs impacts how happy they are in the position. In turn, unhappy employees will look elsewhere for a job or company that they feel is a better fit – as a result, the hiring process will start all over again. 

To prevent hiring the wrong person, it’s crucial to not rush into any decisions. Choosing the first qualified candidate in order to fill the role could prevent you from finding someone who is much better suited, so it can help your organisation to interview every candidate and assess their strengths after. As well as this, the job description itself should be very clear, including the responsibilities, the team’s needs, and even the desired soft skills. Without clarity, you face the risk of underqualified job-seekers applying for the role and not finding someone who meets the requirements. 

A spokesperson from Loopin commented: “It’s incredibly vital that employers consider the causes of a high staff turnover that can potentially be prevented with the appropriate implementations. Something as simple as a 1-1 every two weeks can improve the wellbeing, success, and overall enjoyment in the role for an employee, and it can reduce the speed at which the organisation’s turnover is increasing. High staff turnover not only affects the efficiency of the business, but it also impacts the remaining employees with added workload, and it can damage the reputation of the organisation for future employees. Thinking of the future helps both the business and the staff, so it’s essential to analyse the reasons why past employees have left to prepare for the foreseeable and act accordingly.”  

This information was provided by Loopin who provide tools for organisations to promote positive wellbeing, open communication, progressive culture, and authentic leadership to create a healthy and happy environment in the workplace. 

For more information check out letsloopin.com.