Top 5 reasons why employees quit

Amid the Great Resignation, we have seen millions of American workers voluntarily quit their jobs. These numbers aren’t slowing down anytime soon. So, why are so many employees quitting their jobs? Their motivations will probably surprise you.

Researchers at the Work Institute study these behaviors and issue an annual Retention Report. In the 2021 study, they estimated that two-thirds of voluntary separations are preventable. This means the employer could have taken action to retain those employees.

Due to the COVID pandemic, healthcare employers are having exceptional difficulty with employee turnover and finding new hires. Undoubtedly, the best approach is to prevent employee turnover in the first place. To do that, you must understand why employees quit. Below, we explain the top five preventable reasons for voluntary separations.

#5: The manager

A manager can set the tone and has the most influence on an employee’s experience. From interviewing to onboarding to empowering the employee, a manager can make or break an employee’s perception of their job.

The good news, fewer employees are citing a bad manager as the reason for their voluntary separation. Still, there are a few simple actions all managers should take to improve their relationship with their employees. These include communicating regularly and effectively, supporting their employees’ professional goals, and maintaining professional behavior at all times.

#4: An overwhelming and stressful workload

Healthcare has always been overwhelming and stressful at times, but the pandemic pushed many clinicians to their breaking points. According to the Work Institute’s 2021 Retention Report, employees frequently cite an overwhelming workload, lack of resources, and inadequate training as the reason they decided to quit.

If your team of dietitians is experiencing burnout and needs help to lighten the load, Dietitians On Demand can help. Consider a temporary, per diem, or evening consultant dietitian. For your single site dietitian, let us find a per diem dietitian so they can take a worry-free vacation. Modest support from a contract dietitian can lessen the workload on your already overworked employees.

#3: Poor work-life balance

During the pandemic, lots of employees began to realize the value of a healthy work-life balance. According to the Retention Report, an inconvenient shift schedule accounts for about 70% of work-life dissatisfaction.

While fully remote work may not be an option for all clinical settings, consider offering a hybrid position. Allow your dietitians to complete charting remotely from home. Scale back weekend and holiday coverage to essential tasks only. Allow employees who are parents to adjust their schedule to facilitate school and daycare drop-offs and pick-ups. After all, having a job is not having a life.

#2: Health and family obligations

The pandemic hit us hard when it came to health concerns, risk of illness, and juggling career and family obligations. It’s no surprise that employees frequently cited health and family obligations as the number two reason for quitting their jobs in 2020.

However, even outside a global pandemic, there are opportunities to better support employees with special health needs or family obligations. What is your organization’s policy on paid family leave? Do you offer paternity leave, or paid parental leave for adoptions? How about the option to work remotely to stay home with a sick child or elderly parent? Recognize that families occur in all shapes and sizes. Modernize your policies for modern-day families.

#1: No professional development opportunities

When employees feel stuck in a job and see no opportunities for professional advancement, they quit. It’s that simple. Some employees will seek other opportunities in the dietetics field, while others will leave the profession altogether. Dead-end jobs lead to high employee turnover.

If your dietitians have hit the career advancement ceiling at your organization, think of ways you can still enrich their experience and promote professional development. For example, involve them in a performance improvement project, encourage membership and involvement with professional organizations, and encourage consulting or side gig opportunities. As a manager, you can facilitate these activities with financial support or by removing existing commitments and responsibilities to create more free time for the employee. The idea is to help them move forward in whatever direction they choose. Doing so can bring so much job satisfaction.

It’s never too late to change the culture or policies at your organization to promote employee retention. However, if you are in a staffing bind because some employees have already quit, Dietitians On Demand has a nationwide network of consulting dietitians who stand ready to help.

Dietitians On Demand is a nationwide staffing and recruiting company for registered dietitians, specializing in short-term, temporary and permanent-hire positions in acute care, long term care and food service positions. We’re dedicated to dietitians and helping them enhance their practice and excel in the workplace. Check out our job openings, request your coverage, or visit our store today!