ROBERTA BHASIN is the author of Mastering Management-A Guide for Technical Professionals which is published by Miller Freeman Inc. She also conducts seminars and speaks on management for technical professionals.

Why Good People Leave

Where is the skilled workforce?" is the question on most employers' minds these days, pretty much regardless of industry. Thousands of high paying jobs are going begging, especially when they require high tech skills. It is such a seller's market that "job hopping" is not the stigma it used to be. Rather, it is a sign of possessing skill sets so desirable that they can be sold to the top bidder.

More money, however, is not always the reason people move from one job to another. In fact, it isn't even among the top four or five. That is why counter offers don't work very well, particularly when good people are bailing. If some of those good people have been yours in recent months, then you might want to consider some followup exit interviews. Here's what you might learn.

REASONS TO LEAVE. A prime reason people leave is that the work environment is not particularly friendly-in fact, it is downright hostile. Heavy workloads, often caused by "job loading," or combining jobs in downsizing, plus competition among workers, rather than teamwork, are the root causes of the hostility. Organizations that reward individuals with money, promotion, or recognition-instead of rewarding teamwork and group accomplishments-often foster hostile environments. They are places where it's fatal to make a mistake.

The skilled people who thrive on this kind of competition are generally the first out the door for a better offer, because chances are they have gotten as much as they can from the current employer. These employees, however, are the exception. Most people thrive in a cooperative team-oriented environment where there is a reasonable level of trust. They want to feel that they are contributing to something meaningful and important, something they can be proud of.

That leads to the second reason good people leave: lack of effective leadership. Effective leaders foster this pride by making sure their employees understand the "big picture" of what the organization is all about and where it is going. They believe in the inherent worth of others and have the capability of communicating shared values and visions that form common ground for action-not individual platforms for glory. They foster a spirit of cooperation and teamwork where everyone is encouraged to feel ownership in and personal responsibility for the organization's results. Effective leaders "walk the talk," doing what they say they will do and making sure their actions are consistent with the values and visions they espouse. In tough times, such as downsizing or when mergers and acquisitions are leaving folks not sure where they belong, effective leaders are the ones who can cultivate optimism about the possibilities of a successful future for everyone involved. And finally, rather than a climate of blame and punishment, effective leaders create a climate for learning, characterized by trust and openness.

REWARDS AND MOTIVATION. People who are good know they are good. So if they have experienced a lack of recognition and appreciation, they will look-and go-elsewhere for it. We are not talking about good work being its own reward, and we are not talking about more work being the reward for good work, which is so often the case. We are talking staff meeting kudos for a job well done, an occasional spot bonus, the opportunity to represent the company at a professional meeting in a warm location during the month of January...and we're talking raises and promotions. When is the last time you handed one of those out?

Another reason good people leave is that they don't feel supported. Maybe you've been too stingy with budget dollars. Maybe they are tired of doing clerical or technician work in addition to their own because of staff reductions. Maybe you simply haven't gone to bat for them often enough, leaving them to cut through corporate politics or remove roadblocks on their own.

Good people need growth opportunities. To retain and motivate the highly skilled, you've got to give them opportunities to learn and to do interesting work. Boredom often creates stress for the truly talented and skilled-perhaps even more so than high pressure causes for others.

Finally, homing in on the bottom line, sometimes it is about the money. If your compensation levels have not kept pace with the marketplace, you can expect people to leave. If your compensation isn't tied to performance expectations, workers won't produce what you want, they will produce what you reward. If those rewards come in an environment that gives good people other reasons to leave, such as the ones suggested above...it's "Katie, bar the door." Kiss your good people goodbye...and cozy up to your corporate recruiter.