Employers must adapt retention tools to keep hold of workers

Staff retention is a key issue for all employers regardless of their industry. While many offer various incentives to keep staff on-board, for some workers, this just isnít enough. According to new research from PPS, the HR outsourcing arm of international recruitment consultancy Badenoch & Clark, a fifth (20%) of UK workers leave their current job to pursue a completely new career.

However employers should not rest there, the data compiled from candidate exit interviews showed that whilst many leave their job because they want a change in profession, others cite a lack of promotion opportunities (19%) and dissatisfaction with the companyís management (14%) as being key deciding factors.

Commenting on the results, Amanda Marques, Managing Director of PPS explains: ìPeople choose to leave their job for many reasons ranging from stress and poor salary through to relocations and the desire for flexible working. However, more and more, we are seeing people changing jobs because they want a complete change of profession.î

ìEmployers need to look at the reasons why people leave their organisation and consider the retention tools available to them, adapting these to best suit their organisationís needs. Engaging in regular appraisals, providing training and development, and encouraging inspirational management skills are just some steps employers can take to hold on to their staff,î adds Amanda Marques.

Top reasons for leaving
1. Change in profession = 20%
2. Lack of opportunity for promotion = 19%
3. Dissatisfied with management = 14%
4. Generally dissatisfied with job = 10%
5. Poor Salary = 10%
6. Lack of flexibility with working hours = 9%
7. Personal relocation = 7%
8. Organisation restructuring / change = 6%
9. Overworked/stressed = 4%
10. Culture within workplace = 2%

Despite the growing pressures of todayís working environment, only 4% of candidates polled by PPS listed this as their main reason for leaving a job. More surprisingly, only one in 10 (10%) chose to leave their current employer because of poor salary or general dissatisfaction with their job.

Amanda Marques concludes; ìEmployers need to remember that employees leave people not organisations and therefore, having the right employees in the right jobs is imperative. Companies need to base assessments on capabilities and transferable skills, not just industry experience.î