On the move again? The real reasons why staff resign

We know you’re a proactive and enthusiastic employee when seeking your next career opportunity, but does it seem like you’re regularly moving from role to role and haven’t found a job that ‘fits’ with what you’re looking for?

There is no such thing as a job for life anymore! In the 2016 job market, the average tenure was four years, while in 2020 the average length of an employee's stay in each job was reduced to three years. In 2024, it's not unusual for more junior employees to only stay for 2 years if their expectations aren't met.

If you look at this statistic throughout a career, in the life of the current school leaver who starts part-time work at 18 years of age, by the age of 70, they could have worked for many different companies.

While there is a trend in the media to discuss the increase of ‘job hopping’ by millennials (born between 1977 and 1997), there is a range of valid reasons why employees move to new roles more frequently nowadays, and the reasons are less complex than you might think.

Common reasons why employees want to move to ‘greener’ pastures when seeking employment include:

Lack of opportunity  

If an employee is career-driven, they need to know there are future career opportunities in their company. If they feel like they’re in a ‘dead-end’ position with no prospect of growth or promotion, it’s unlikely that they’ll stay around for the long haul. People need room to grow and develop and all staff should be nurtured with that focus.

Poor relationship with a manager

Sadly, a reason that staff leave a job is because of a bad relationship with their direct manager. Your relationship with your boss has a pivotal impact on your working life; they can provide encouragement, support, direction and growth opportunities. After all, you will likely spend more time at work than at home!  If any of those elements are stifled, the employee becomes unmotivated and despondent, and their commitment wanes. There is no need for your boss to become your best friend, however, if the relationship isn’t on an even keel, or if there is a lack of trust, a bad boss is unlikely to hold onto their employee for the long term.

Lack of communication

Employees need to feel valued and good communication is an essential element of this.  Ensuring that people are aware of management decisions and discussions eliminates any need for assumptions and misinterpretations. It also makes staff feel that they are respected in their workplace. If good communication isn’t present, employees could feel that their skills will be better used by an employer who respects and values their opinions and seeks career opportunities elsewhere.

In a survey conducted by Richard Lloyd Accounting Recruitment, 8.35% of job seekers were looking due to uncertain job security. This is all too often a direct result of poor communication. Employees should always be confident that there is no threat to their employment; a lack of ‘job security’ isn’t a message that should be conveyed. While in most cases the employee’s role and performance were not in question, communication typically around financial performance, restructures or M&A was poor which gave the impression that the individual’s position and career at the organisation was on shaky ground.

Negative culture

The average full-time worker spends at least one-third of their day at work. If toxic relationships dominate that time, it will likely control the remaining waking hours of an employee’s day too.  Good relationships within a team or office environment are one of the top points that employees list as a reason for loving their job. If these healthy relationships are absent, the emotional aspect takes over and it becomes difficult to concentrate on your operational duties.

Richard Lloyd Accounting Recruitment focuses on working with companies that promote healthy working relationships, and employee growth and development opportunities. For a confidential discussion about your next career move or professional career opportunities contact us on 02 8324 5640.