CAN STAFF TURNOVER BE PREDICTED
Tim Gardner, a Utah State University associate professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, has completed a study on voluntary turnover and submitted a paper now under review with a top academic publication. The findings may surprise those who think they can easily identify an employee who is about to move on to a new job.
Surprisingly, an employee who starts taking more vacation time, punching out at 5 p.m. every day and looking at outside openings on company time, isn't necessarily someone who is about to leave. However, one thing most employees had in common before they left was that they began to "disengage" in the workplace. Here are a few examples of subtle but consistent behavioral changes people often make in the one to two months before they leave their job:
- They offered fewer constructive contributions in meetings.
- They were more reluctant to commit to long-term projects.
- They became more reserved and quiet.
- They became less interested in advancing in the organization.
- They were less interested in pleasing their boss than before.
- They avoided social interactions with their boss and other members of management.
- They suggested fewer new ideas or innovative approaches.
- They began doing the minimum amount of work needed and no longer went beyond the call of duty.
- They were less interested in participating in training and development programs.
- Their work productivity went down.
Gardner said if employees were demonstrating at least six of these behaviors, his statistical formula could predict with 80 percent accuracy that they were about to leave the organization.What was unexpected, however, were the behaviors that did not make the list.
"You might think that someone who starts showing up to work late, failing to return phone calls and e-mails, and taking lots of sick days might be about to leave, but those weren't unique behaviors that applied only to the quitters."
Gardner said that in today's competitive business environment, where companies invest a lot in their top performers, this information might help managers find ways to keep people on board.
The research done by Gardner and his team went far beyond shipping out a simple survey asking employers for their best guesses on what signs might indicate an employee is unhappy. They used a complex statistical methodology as they conducted three different studies, using seven different samples, that included undergraduate students, graduate students, managers and other business leaders from around the world.
"It appears that a person's attitude can create behaviors that are hard to disguise," he said. "As the grass starts to look greener on the other side of the fence to you, chances are that others will soon notice that you've lost your focus."
A personal observation: Over the years, our experience at RGL Consultants suggests that the best managed employees are fully engaged, inspired, have job satisfaction and stay motivated (thus remain productive and loyal to their present employer). From the employee's perspective, if staff members do not truly enjoy their job/role, they should be looking for another position ----life is too short).
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