10 not so obvious reasons to quit

Over 16 years of working in companies of different sizes, scope and levels of corporate incivility, I have seen very exotic reasons for dismissal. The top 3 confidently include dismissal due to the insufficient height of the door in the toilet, due to calling an ambulance at work, and due to the disappearance of buns with dried apricots from the canteen menu, the lack of a separate office or parking space. I once quit after the deputy director said: “And this is the last Chinese warning!” Not knowing the real meaning of this idiom, like a true samurai, I committed career hara-kiri. But, as we were taught in history lessons, every event has reasons, and there is a reason – the last straw, after which the thread breaks and something irreversible happens. Of course, buns, a taxi of the wrong class, sparks in the microwave, etc. – this is all a reason. And it often happens that no one knows anything about the reasons, or everyone finds out, but too late.

People are leaving. Having worked for 10 years or one day, as a manager or subordinate, with no opportunity for growth, ambitious and lacking initiative, loved by everyone and unloved by everyone. They go for a promotion, to a new specialty, to downshifting, to nowhere. It's inevitable. If you delve into the reasons, then wages and career growth win, followed by some formal conditions: working hours, travel time, the possibility of combining, training, sometimes treatment, etc. At the end of the list there will most likely be emotional stories, falling in love and other serious lyrics.

These reasons have been written hundreds of times. Today is about something else. About those reasons that are almost never mentioned. Why?

• The person feels guilty and does not want to reveal the real reason. You never know what they’ll think: weakling, couldn’t cope, couldn’t, couldn’t pull it off. It's easier to just leave and find something simpler.

• The employee underestimates his work and is embarrassed to say that he gets little money or, for example, wants to work on a computer more efficiently.

• It seems to the employee that all levels in the company have been passed and there is nowhere to declare his ambitions – and the management will be offended, because it seems that they are not ready to give prospects on the scale of a giant corporation.

• A person is embarrassed to communicate a personal reason that is not related to his work and competencies. And it happens that he simply does not want self-pity because of a personal tragedy.

What are these reasons?

1

Lack of adaptation and training system for new employees. This problem is much wider than it seems. People have different temperaments: one newcomer will jump into the team, become part of the team, will not hesitate to ask and demand, will begin to work vigorously and loudly (or “work”); another will sit, pick through the knowledge base and documentation, die from fear of asking something, live, counting the hours until the evening – simply because it is difficult to quickly and actively work and especially join the team. As a result, the second employee, being much smarter and more experienced than the first, will be thrown out of the probationary period, and the company will never know what a cool specialist it missed. Accordingly, this imbalance can be corrected by a program of mentoring and adaptation of new employees. Then everyone will receive decent support and will know exactly who will help them take their first steps. However, if the adaptation is formal, and the mentors push away their mentees, it is easier to quit and not tempt fate in this company.

2

Changes in working conditions (work schedule, office relocation). When we choose a company, our decision is influenced by many factors, among which work schedule and office location (including remote work and part-time) are significant (sometimes decisive). And, of course, when an office from the center moves almost out of town, the requirements for delivering a thinking carcass to work increase, travel time increases (which has to be taken away from personal life, family, cat and games), and sooner or later the understanding comes – what the heck this schedule, there is no time to live. It’s strange to make a claim – for some reason the company made such a decision. Therefore, if there is no chance of solving the problem remotely or on Friday from home, the employee is more likely to leave and look for closer options.

Moreover, sometimes positive changes can also lead to dissatisfaction and departure of an employee – for example, the introduction of a safety loop or the launch of work CRM systems. Such employees pretend to be defenders of the old and familiar, but usually this is just a mask: the real reason lies in the fact that automation interferes with their plans to idle or, for example, earn extra money for competitors. In such cases, you need to be as attentive as possible to the departing employee, so that he does not accidentally take away commercial information or a couple of other colleagues.

3

Lack of career growth – a sensitive topic. Firstly, the understanding of career growth between an employee and an employer may be different, and secondly, there are many companies where growth as such does not exist: you can grow in money, but not receive that same promotion, new positions and people under your command. An ambitious careerist cannot stand this situation and leaves for a young, dynamically developing company, but at work there will be a proud “director of development.” The funny thing is that the manager, having learned about this state of affairs, laments that he could have written anything in the labor report. But this is a futile worry: people pursuing career advancement are often not the company's most valuable asset. They prefer conferences, badges and proud phrases “I work in the very ***.” But the next category is a very sensitive group with a serious approach.

4

Lack of professional development – this is a painful trigger for a specialist who is ready to develop in the company. He gives away his experience, his knowledge and skills and wants to receive not only a salary and a formal position, but also growth above himself: the development of professionalism, new experience, an interesting project, horizontal movement within the company. These are the same people who can be great product managers, analysts, security specialists, strategists, and managers. They are focused on seeing the business as a whole, understanding different aspects of the company’s development, and seeing their role in the team. Values, goals, benefits, mission are not empty words for them, but meaningful concepts built into their personal value system. If the company is not ready to provide such conditions or does not want to promote a specialist, he will most likely leave without noise and dust, because he will carefully and methodically select a new employer. However, at his new job he can hold out again until his next ceiling.

5

Lack of regulated business processes benefits some, and terrifies others. At the same time, both types can work wonderfully, but the first will be comfortable, and the second will be unbearable, since he is not able to work, grow and generate ideas in chaos. In addition, “messy” business processes always involve the risk of suddenly finding yourself at fault, taking on someone else’s responsibility, losing a bonus, and so on. Some employees may optimistically try to fix something, suggest a method to streamline things, but when faced with misunderstanding and protest, they burn out and leave the company. Those who are less optimistic leave immediately because they may assume that business processes themselves are not falling apart – most likely, it is also a matter of the team, and not everyone can handle remaking a department or company. “There are few truly violent ones, and there are no leaders.”

6

Constantly changing work priorities – the scourge of small companies. You have all seen such weathervane leaders: either they develop clouds, then they suddenly develop payment systems for cryptocurrency, or they rush into the development of computer vision. Usually the point of these searches is to find the gold mine of the market and make money until it runs out. This search drains all resources, including employees who are forced to either leave or retrain. Sooner or later, the race burns out the most loyal and patient. The problem is that weathervane leaders do not grow up – they are “eternal startupers” who “muddy up” and “serially undertake.” If an employee understood this and left on time, he is really lucky: he will save nerves and time, but his faith and devotion would still not be appreciated.

7

Inability to combine work and study – the problem is not only for the Junes. Nowadays, a person can decide to change his specialty or delve deeply into professions at any status and age. There is a sharp change in priorities, a new business takes a lot of time (by the way, only at the beginning, then you manage to get into the rhythm), captivates, captivates and pulls you out of your well-worn life. If the employer refuses to change the schedule or reduce the rate, the employee can easily leave, because the euphoria from the new team, new knowledge, new successes is still fresh. Moving forward with the help of training may turn out to be a false thing and actually lead to a professional setback, but it is already too late to regret. If an employee is afraid to reveal the fact of training, he becomes torn and leaves his job in search of a more loyal company. I urge you to talk and come to an agreement – people who study are well motivated and motivation can give new strength at work too. Therefore, it is in the interests of both parties to agree on a convenient schedule.

8

Stress at work – an intimate and elusive problem. Surely you all know that there are several types of nervous system (strong, weak, balanced, unbalanced, etc.). Translating this into everyday language, it has been scientifically proven that a high workload or a reprimand from the boss will drive Petya to a smoking break, and Vasya to a nervous breakdown and the hospital. Petya can loudly swear at his boss behind his back and calm down, while Vasya will be correct, restrained, but harbors a deep evil, which will “shatter” him. Again, sensitivity to stress changes. A person may be embarrassed to say that he feels bad, that he has an indigestion, that he may cry or show aggression, he considers himself “not like that” and makes a biologically justified decision: if a stress factor interferes with life, he needs to get rid of it. The solution is dismissal. By the way, this is why the same person in two different jobs can turn out to be completely different. I have heard that a person at a new job felt like he was in a rehab and enjoyed communication and comfortable work.

9

Health status – an even more intimate problem. It is easy for some to talk about how they are feeling, while others will suffer until the end. Unfortunately, there are diseases that make it impossible to work at the previous level of efficiency or significantly affect speed, attentiveness, and memory. Not every company is ready to accept such changes. Or they are ready to accept, but the reactions and emotions become different and can offend the employee. It’s easier for him to quit and find a more suitable place where he won’t be compared to him before his illness. Indeed, it was not uncommon to see a person change jobs after a long or “background” illness. Well, here are those who are not ready to come out with their diagnosis after a full recovery – for example, I had to meet dismissals after recovery from tuberculosis, a mini-stroke, a serious fracture with the acquisition of lameness. The employee is simply embarrassed to go out and become an object of curiosity. And, frankly, I’ve probably never met a company that had some kind of fundamental program for the reintegration of a person after a long break (whether it was a period of illness or maternity leave).

10

Caring for relatives – taboo, stigma and what-you-cannot-talk about. The very fact of the occurrence of such an event completely distorts the psyche and worldview, and then there is social pressure, and questions and problems of building a balance between personal life and work. Not every person is ready to share such a problem: some are shy, some are afraid, some do not want self-pity. And the person, dependent on the patient, in dire need of money, leaves, chooses a lower qualification, just not to feel guilty and somehow solve the problem. That is, he quits at the most inopportune moment for himself. There is only one way out here: agree on a time frame for work during the day or offer help with the maintenance of a nurse (if possible). The problem cannot be solved with one person.

The most annoying thing is that the most talented, active and sought-after employees can quickly leave, because they will not stay for long and will find work as quickly as possible. Finding new ones is expensive. Why are these quiet, disguised layoffs happening?

• Companies don't have a firing culture. No, HR, with its regret and clumsy attempts at retention, is not a culture, but rather an alienating factor. The culture of dismissal is about prevention, the ability to hear and understand the employee, understand his motives, and be able to link them with the needs of the company, especially if the employee is valuable.

• Many managers have learned the formula “no one is irreplaceable” and think that they apply it successfully. However, replacement is expensive and most often turns out to be weaker than the previous colleague. Plus adaptation, training, lost time… They forget to count this.

• Companies are “going with the flow”: the market is going remote – everyone is working remotely, everyone is starting to be returned to the office – everyone is going to the office, despite well-established processes. For 2024, this is a rigid, illogical approach that does not allow employees to feel the ground under their feet.

• Companies do not have a corporate culture. Welcome packs, beer Fridays, corporate parties are events, they are not culture. Culture is a set of measures that exists at any moment, supports employees, and allows them to feel calm in the most difficult moments. You may not have bonuses, gifts and parties, but in a difficult situation the company of your own is a mountain.

There will be no advice, no recommendations either. The main thing is to talk and remain human. This solves many problems.

And we are still we develop cool solutions for business. Which, by the way, make work easier, faster, more convenient and safer. Also motivation 🙂