It has been years—like our parents’ or grandparents’ generations—since employees would start and end their careers at one company, then retire with a cushy pension as a reward for loyal service. Modern workers, in contrast, stay at one job for about four years before moving on. This makes sense in a market that rewards job switching, especially when it comes to salary increases. Job loyalty just doesn’t pay off like it used to! Now in the face of COVID-19’s more unpredictable job market, employees may be reluctant to leave the certainty of their employment for something else. But some factors are worth the risk, so be on the lookout if these are happening at your company!

Toxic Work Environment

Let’s start with the most pressing reason employees should move on from a job: a toxic work environment. This can cover anything from bullying, disregard for safety, disrespect for work-life balance, unrealistic goals, poisonous culture, set-up-to-fail situations, and more. People in toxic work environments will absolutely hate reporting for work and the neverending negative cycle. Sustained toxicity breeds low morale, low productivity, and high turnover, and can even lead to mental and physical health problems. Nothing good comes of hanging on to a work environment that makes someone feel like less than the person they were meant to be; no job is worth that.

Underappreciation

Studies consistently show that lack of appreciation is a, if not the, major reason why employees leave their jobs. Everyone wants to feel appreciated for the work they do, through even a small gesture like a thank-you note or a callout at the staff meeting. If you’re an employer, show your employees you care with these creative ways to show employee appreciation and the best holiday gifts for employees.

Overworking

How are those work hours looking lately? Employees should have a balanced workload that doesn’t leave them answering email on weekends and performing tasks way outside their job description. If that’s happening, employees will quickly feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and burned out. They will disengage or start to look for a way out. Before that happens, reevaluate the workloads; see what duties can be redistributed, streamlined, or eliminated; and then consider if it’s time to hire additional staff.

Lack of Challenge

Some employees like to “camp” in their positions, never aspiring to more, but the highest performing employees will always be looking for the next big challenge. Since job changing doesn’t carry the same shame it once did, if employees can’t find that next challenge at their current company, they’ll look for a company where they can. This is where communication is important for employees to share their professional goals and to be supported on that journey.

Stagnant Salary

A salary that is not rising according to value-add or even inflation (about 2 percent a year) is not going to cut it for most employees. A typical 3–5 percent raise barely covers that increased cost of living, and anyone with a smaller raise is actually working for less than in the prior year. As we’ve already discussed, nobody likes to feel underappreciated, and fewer signs speak louder than inappropriate compensation. High performers who deserve but have not seen a significant salary increase are likely to look at another company, where they can easily score a 10 percent raise just for signing on.

In Conclusion

Although most companies don’t give themselves annual performance reviews, there’s always opportunity for an employer to improve their strategies to retain top talent. As job changing becomes more acceptable—and often beneficial—employees are less willing to wait for a nonideal job situation to improve. That’s why it’s important to evaluate key measures of employee satisfaction, ask employees for their feedback, and implement any changes that will help keep employees on board. Don’t give employees a reason to leave!