Promoting an employee to a supervisorial or managerial role is often due to their technical abilities and performance, not their leadership skills. That’s why, when faced with handling people, some managers have difficulties.
Poor management is one of the most common reasons why employees leave. It may not be the sole reason an employee has when they decide to quit, but it still contributes to their decision to leave your organization. Read on to learn how managers influence employee turnover.
How managers influence employee turnover
Failure to appreciate employees
As a leader, you must value and appreciate your employees. When they feel appreciated, they are more satisfied with their job, leading to higher productivity, loyalty, and reduced turnover.
And there are numerous ways you can say “thank you” to your employees for a job well done.
So, when managers fail to show their appreciation, the employees lose motivation. They’re also not committed or inspired to do their work and, in time, will start looking for a position elsewhere. And a team comprised of underappreciated and looking for other work individuals will affect your business.
Taking credit for the work of others
What could be worse than a manager not appreciating their team members’ work? A manager who takes credit for someone else’s efforts and blames their team members for failures.
A good manager takes responsibility for team performance, whether good or bad. So if the managers in your organization like to enjoy all the praise for their teams’ achievements and, at the same time, throws under the bus their employees when something goes wrong, you can expect that those will affect your employee turnover rate.
Doesn’t communicate or have poor communication with the team
Managers need to communicate with their team members. Not only to relay instructions but also to effectively work with their employees. Their doors should be figuratively open to all their team members, and their team members should also be comfortable approaching them with questions, concerns, new ideas, and even criticisms. It’s also part of their job description to deal with workplace conflict.
So, if they are unavailable for their people or don’t communicate and listen to them, they’ll most likely miss out on some valuable insights their team can provide. At the same time, their employees will most likely not talk with them, further widening the rift.
Another case of poor communication between the manager and his subordinates is when the manager doesn’t provide realistic or clear directions. A manager is not just a boss; they are also a guide and a leader to their staff. If the manager doesn’t clearly define responsibilities, it can lead to confusion among members, leaving the work undone.
Micromanaging
Micromanagement is when the manager closely observes and controls the work of their subordinates. And when micromanaging happens, it sends the message that growth is not allowed and mistakes are unacceptable. Unless everything is precisely what the manager wants, it won’t be recognized, which leads to demotivation and frustration.
Employees who feel suffocated will surely think about finding a different work environment. They would want to be somewhere that would grow and accept them and will give them the freedom and trust that they didn’t feel with their previous manager.
Doesn’t know or own up to their responsibilities
A common misconception of some managers is that they get to do less. But, the opposite is true. A manager has more responsibilities on their plate. If they fail to recognize those, it causes dysfunction. In the long run, people resent these managers and avoid interacting with them.
Some say that people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers. But sometimes, employees leave organizations due to various factors. Still, you must know how managers can contribute to this decision.
