Why Do We Quit So Often?

Below are two of the top ten reasons that people quit their jobs, according to AOL today.

#3 Insufficient Recognition or Appreciation
Percent Responding: 34.2%

"There is no recognition of my creative talent, training, or skills."
The three major portions of an employee's total rewards package are compensation, benefits, and the work experience. The work experience includes things like company culture, dress code, and how employees are recognized and appreciated for individual contributions and accomplishments. The fact that 34.2% of dissatisfied employees are disgruntled because of insufficient recognition or appreciation shows the importance of elements of the work experience, such as employee recognition programs. This proves that rewarding top performers with cash or gift certificates, or even just a pat on the back, goes a long way toward improving employee retention rates.


#4 Boredom
Percent Responding: 20.1%

"My job duties have gone from being challenging to boring."
20.1% of dissatisfied employees are unhappy because of boredom. There is only so much socializing with coworkers, surfing the Internet, or simply spacing out that an employee can do before it's time to find a new job.

The July 2005 AOL/Salary.com study on Wasted Time At Work revealed that the average American worker admitted to frittering away 2.09 hours per 8-hour workday, not including lunch and scheduled break-time. However, employees expressed that they are not always to blame for this wasted time. 33.2% of respondents cited lack of work as their biggest reason for wasting time.