Why Americans Hate, Quit and Hate-Quit Their Jobs

Want happy employees? Heed these three simple rules.

February 21, 2017 9:00 am

“I don’t like my job. I don’t think I’m gonna go anymore. I really don’t like it, so I’m not gonna go.”

When Peter Gibbons shares those sentiments with a flair-wearing Joanna while they wait to order lunch in Office Space, she looks at him like he has two heads. However, while his method of leaving Initech may have been unorthodox, his reason for ceasing to show up are quite normal, according to a new study. After analyzing more than 5,000 resumes of workers who changed jobs in the last nine years, researchers at Glassdoor were able to identify the three major reasons employees will quit: poor company culture, lack of competitive pay and job stagnation.

According to the analysis, employees who are offered opportunities for career advancement and share the values of the organization they work for are likelier to be satisfied and stick around. Further, employees who start with higher base pay are much more inclined to search for their next position within their organization rather than elsewhere. Finally, the research found workers who stay in the same role with the same title for more than 10 months are more likely to leave.

So what does Glassdoor suggest?

“Creating upward career paths for employees, maintaining a competitive base compensation package that is reviewed regularly, being wary of job title stagnation in the workforce, and making an investment to improve the perceived culture and values of the organization. Although most employees change jobs and employers many times throughout a career, paying attention to these key drivers of employee turnover may be able to help today’s organization do a better job of retaining their key talent.”

We also suggest instituting a “No Fish in the Shared Microwave” policy.

The more you know.

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