One of the most important parts of effectively managing a business is knowing how to work with people.
People are what build a company and it’s the manager’s job to lead them down the path of success, not drive them away from the company.
Bad managers tend to blame a high turnover rate on everything but themselves, but people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers.
According to the monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), the current turnover rate in the U.S. is around 2.2%, but turnover rates vary greatly by industry.
The chart below shows the turnover rates for the “100 Best Companies to Work For” compared to the industry average in 2016.
The “100 Best” companies all share a drastically lower turnover rate than the industry average, which means most companies are doing something wrong — and we’re betting it has something to do with management.
Here are 10 huge mistakes managers make that will drive away good employees and leave your company with a high turnover rate.
10. They overwork people.
One of the biggest mistakes managers make is overworking their employees.
According to new research from Stanford, productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek goes over 50 hours, and productivity drops so much after 55 hours that it’s a complete waste.
Raises, promotions, and title-changes are all acceptable ways to increase a good employee’s workload without harming their productivity or morale.
If employees are overworked and underappreciated, they will seek another job that gives them what they deserve.
9. They don’t give feedback.
A poll by The Ken Blanchard Companies found that failing to provide feedback is the most common mistake that managers make.
Bad managers rarely give credit or feedback, and never reward their employees for hitting goals or going above and beyond.
Managers who don’t provide prompt feedback to their staff are depriving them of the opportunity to improve their performance.
Employees need feedback in order to do the best job they can, and good managers will always give it to them.
8. They fail to develop employees’ skills.
According to Fast Company, one of the biggest drivers of high turnover is the belief that there are better professional development opportunities further afield.
A good manager will recognize talent and find ways to improve and expand their employees’ skill set.
Usually, if employees who are loyal to their companies feel that they need better professional development opportunities and quit, it’s because of their managers.
7. They don’t communicate effectively.
Poor communication skills are a common trait among bad managers.
Failure to communicate effectively can lead to errors, poor performance, low morale and more.
Successful managers, on the other hand, are great at communicating their values and ideas, and they encourage their employees to share them as well.
They push for open discussions and are not afraid of being proven wrong.
Their employees never have to guess what’s going on or where they are coming from.
6. They don’t care about their employees.
Most people leave their jobs because of their relationship with their manager.
Good managers celebrate their employees’ accomplishments, challenge them to reach their full potential and empathize with them during hard times.
They make sure their employees’ needs are met and that they’re happy.
According to Business 2 Community, the sign of a great manager is one who gets invited to major events that their employees are celebrating and is commonly included in group events that staff members organize.
5. They micromanage.
Micromanaging is repeatedly the top complaint people have about their managers.
It completely destroys motivation and creativity and is guaranteed to drive good employees out the door.
Companies need employees who will do more than what they’re told, who will think for themselves and try new approaches, and all of that is ruined by micromanaging.
4. They throw employees under the bus.
Instead of taking responsibility for mistakes or things that go wrong, a bad manager will throw their employees under the bus and blame them for the issue.
Doing this will undoubtedly incite hatred, disrespect and distrust for them in their employees.
And, according to research by Business 2 Community, younger generations are increasingly unwilling to accept direction from people they have little respect for.
[ Related: Why Don’t Millennials Want to Work in Insurance? ]
Throwing others under the bus does nothing to shift the blame, and will only cause a rift between the manager and their employees.
3. They don’t address big issues.
It is never acceptable for a manager to ignore uncomfortable issues instead of working to resolve them.
Bad managers have a tendency to ignore issues and hope they go away on their own, which rarely happens.
A simple disagreement or mistake can turn into something much worse unless someone takes charge.
As Orlando Battista once said, “An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.”
2. They ignore ideas.
Great managers are open-minded and value their employees’ ideas.
They frequently ask for feedback, ideas and opinions and actually take them into account when making decisions.
Employees should feel safe and confident when sharing ideas, opinions, feedback and concerns.
Remember, a wise person never stops learning, and we learn from listening to others.
1. They don’t make things fun.
Good managers will find ways to make work more enjoyable by holding contests, outings and office parties.
These are great ways to let employees de-stress and keep morale high.
The best managers know how to make employees want to work for them.
