How to Drive Away Valuable Employees: A Guide for Employers
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Chapter 1: Understanding Employee Turnover
It is truly intriguing how some employers actively work against retaining their best talent. In an era where the demand for skilled employees is rising, many businesses inadvertently push away their most valuable team members.
Hiring a new staff member entails a considerable investment, covering training, security access, and various onboarding costs. This may also include expenses for uniforms, IT equipment, furniture, and more. The costs associated with advertising job openings and the time spent interviewing candidates can be substantial.
Given all these factors, why do some employers repeatedly fall into the same traps?
If you’re keen on continuing to invest in these processes while struggling to maintain a full team, here’s a rundown of practices to avoid.
Section 1.1: Make Employees Cover Their Own Costs
I can’t count how many job offers I’ve declined because the employer required me to pay for essential items—often legally mandated for their operations. Here’s a partial list of expenses that I and others have had to cover at employers’ requests:
- Uniforms
- Work footwear
- Tools
- Medical evaluations
- Drug screenings
- Required re-certifications
- Vehicle operation and maintenance
- Meals
- Lodging
While I don’t expect employers to cover every expense—like my daily commute or initial training—I do believe they should not burden employees with exorbitant upfront costs for travel. If I own a vehicle solely for work, the associated costs should be the employer's responsibility.
When it comes to uniforms and work shoes, I have mixed feelings. If an employer mandates a specific dress code, they should provide the necessary items at a fair price, especially if those items can't be used elsewhere or must be returned.
Section 1.2: Inconsistent Scheduling
This is a mistake I’ve made in the past when managing schedules, and I intend to improve in future roles.
If your goal is to push away employees, offer them erratic schedules that require weekly checks to ascertain their shifts. This is particularly detrimental for full-time employees. I know individuals who work a lopsided schedule of three days one week and six the next, with their days off shifting constantly.
In my previous role as a supervisor at a popular tourist attraction, I aimed to provide flexible schedules, but in hindsight, a consistent schedule would have made things easier for my team and myself.
To ensure you drive away good employees, make sure their schedules are unpredictable and leave them uncertain about when they can make personal plans.
Subsection 1.2.1: Assigning Out-of-Scope Tasks
To hasten employee turnover, assign them tasks that fall outside their job description, especially if they lack the qualifications to perform those duties.
For instance, if there’s an extra personal support worker at a retirement home, have them cook meals for fifty without any help. Similarly, if a hotel has an extra cook, send them to clean rooms instead.
I wish I were exaggerating, but these scenarios are based on real experiences shared by friends and colleagues. Assigning tasks outside an employee's scope without proper training or support is one of the quickest ways to lose talent.
Section 1.3: Prioritizing Profits Over People
If there’s one way to ensure good employees leave, it’s by prioritizing profits above all else.
I’ve come across an employer who consistently puts financial gain first, leading to a toxic work environment:
- After a manager left for a better opportunity, the remaining employees were assigned their duties without any pay increase, leaving no one in charge.
- Instead of replacing a broken coffee filter holder, management opted for a cheap alternative that did not work effectively.
- They retained abusive clients rather than risking their reputation.
- They forced immigrant employees to work double shifts without overtime pay.
The list goes on.
To effectively drive away good employees, ensure that you only offer the bare minimum compensation for your industry and disregard the necessity of regular raises, particularly for non-unionized staff.
Remember, the best companies cultivate loyalty by treating their employees with respect and fairness.
Chapter 2: What Employers Should Learn
This video, "Why Good Employees Leave? (And 10 Ways Managers Keep Them From Leaving)," provides valuable insights into the actions managers can take to retain their talent.
The second video titled "Why Good Employees Quit" discusses common reasons employees decide to leave their jobs, shedding light on ways to improve employee satisfaction.