I had done everything I knew to do to make my working situation better. When it remained not good enough, I updated my resume and started searching for a new job.
I always know when I am ready to move on from a job when I stop being my typical vocal self, and instead keep quiet, too tired and defeated to keep advocating for positive change. My best friend is the opposite. Typically quiet, when she is done with a job, she starts speaking up because she no longer fears the repercussions that normally prevent her from doing so. Her sign that she is done is speaking out while mine is shutting up.
Which is it for you?
THE SECRECY AROUND STAFF MOVING ON
Working life is funny, and perhaps never more so then when it comes to taking on a new position and leaving it. When we are seeking a job, there is so much pretense, so much saying what we think we are supposed to say.
Where do we see ourselves in five years?
Why do we want to work at this company?
What is our greatest weakness?
Does anyone ever answer these honestly? Do they ever really even know?
When we are about to leave a job, the equivalent to this pre-job pretense is silence. On our way in, we carefully craft what we are going to say, but on the way out, we almost always say nothing at all. So much silence. We cannot let our organization know we are thinking of leaving, so after months of considering it, we start our search, go on interviews, all the while not saying a word, and then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere to those in charge, we put in our notice.
This secrecy has always bothered me, both as a supervisor who has had staff unexpectedly leave and as a staff person who has secretly made the decision to leave. The silence seems so destructive to the work and the trust we need to do it well. Being able to be honest seems so much more productive and effective. It helps confront the fixable issues that might convince the person to stay. Or perhaps the next one. It helps prepare for a smooth transition so there is ample time to fill the role and make sure we are not losing any institutional wisdom in the process.
Why don’t we do this?
Why do we continue to keep our secrets and continue to have blindsided managers, unnecessary gaps in coverage, and wasted institutional knowledge when someone moves on?
Why don’t we try something different?
THE TRUTH ABOUT STAFF MOVING ON
The persistent pretense in hiring and moving on lacks logic because it does not convey the reality of our current working lives. Long gone are the days of 25-year tenures that culminate with a cliched gold watch. This has become the rare exception to a new rule.
U.S. workers will spend on average a little less than four years at one job and will have 13 jobs over their professional lifetime. Throughout that time, many will be in a state of perpetual job searching, keeping an eye out for the next great opportunity. In fact, right this minute, nearly 2/3 of employed people are looking for a job. Likely at your organization too.
People change jobs all the time. We know this. Why do we operate in a way that implies otherwise?
THE REASONS STAFF MOVE ON
There are several reasons people move on for a job. Some of those reasons are classified as pull factors and others as push factors.
Pull factors encompass those things going on in a person’s life that are not related to the job itself- life stuff. Moving, retiring, illness, and any other major life changes. There is not much, if anything, you can do as a manger about pull factors.
Push factors are things that are related to the job, things that are pushing the person out- compensation, a crappy boss, the workload, lack of advancement opportunities. Often it is nothing anyone is doing wrong. Sometimes people outgrow a job, or decide it is not the right field for them, or simply need a change. As a manager, you can have impact over some push factors and not others.
Accepting the things you cannot change, your focus as a manager should be on what you can- preventing the preventable reasons people leave jobs. This requires a proactive approach that includes open, honest communication and recognizing the signs when someone is ready to move on.
THE SIGNS YOUR STAFF IS READY TO MOVE ON
When some staff are ready to move on, their behavior changes. They may call out more frequently than before, or start showing up late more often than before. There could be other reasons for this too. As a manager, it is your role to find out what is going on. With no ulterior motive, check in with them and see if everything is okay. Be concerned and empathetic but not intrusive. “Is everything okay” or “Is there anything you need from me?” is a great start.
Other staff who are ready to move on may continue to show up every day on time, but their behavior may change in other ways. Some, like me, who are consistently vocal may stop speaking up. Others, like my friend, who are consistently quiet, may increasingly start speaking up. Work quality may decrease. Energy may shift. You may notice them not being fully present in meetings or team discussions. If it starts to become more than just an off day here or there, talk with your staff to see what is going on and how you may be able to help.
For some staff, the telltale sign that they are ready to move in is complaining. . Some will complain to you and others will complain more about you and/or the job itself.
For some staff, you will never know when they are ready to move on. They will continue to show up as they always have, and despite their assurances that everything is fine, they already have their foot out of the proverbial door.
Each staff is different and each reason or set of reasons for their leaving is different. You will not be able to impact all of it, but you can work on more effectively preventing the preventable.
The best way to prevent staff from moving on in situations that are within your control is to create an environment that is open, honest, and filled with trust. Establish a culture that includes a collective agreement to stop the pretense and create space where people feel comfortable being honest about their goals and when they start thinking of moving on. Recognize that most are going to move on eventually and do the best you can to work with them as long as you can, supporting them for both their current and next steps.
As a team leader, the best way you can try to create this environment is by having open, honest conversations with your staff throughout their time with you starting from the very beginning of their time working with you. Be open to discussing their goals with them, goals that they have while they are with your organization as well as outside of it.
In addition to ongoing conversations with your staff about their goals and plans, you may also consider having more formal conversations focused on your staff’s future. Stay interviews are a great way to learn more about your staff’s engagement as well as their future plans. They are also a wonderful way to recognize how much you appreciate your staff and how much you want them to stay. During these conversations, you can ask questions like,
What made you stay with us this year?
What would motivate you to stay with us another year?
Let them know that you really want them to stay another year, by saying something as simple and clear as
We would really love for you to stay with us next year.
It is unfortunate how rarely people hear that.
People need to know they are appreciated. They also need to know that their supervisor is competent. One of the best ways you can motivate people to stick around is by being a great supervisor while always striving to be greater. Continue to invest in your growth and development and seek feedback from your staff about how to better support them.
Finally, do not spend a fortune trying to save a few dollars. Do not wait until someone is ready to leave to offer them more money. Pay fairly and honestly from the beginning and as much as you can help it, do not let money be the reason someone leaves.
You cannot and will not be equally effective for every person you supervise. That is just the way it goes. Do the best that you can and recognize that you cannot control the outcome. You can only do your part.
RECOGNIZING WHEN YOU ARE READY TO MOVE ON
Finally, as you continue to focus on your staff, do not forget to focus on yourself too. Pay attention to your own signs when you are beginning to lose interest in your job.
Can it be fixed? If so, what can be done to fix it?
Can it be fixed in the position you are in? In the organization you are in? In the field you are in?
Would changing the number of hours you work do the trick?
Do you need a break from supervising?
Do you have a supervisor you are comfortable discussing it with?
Moving on from a job can be awkward but it does not have to be. Do what you can to be a supervisor that is honest and open to conversations about the future. Understand that people move on. Create an environment where staff can be honest with you about their plans and do what you can to support them. Check in with them to see what they need to stay and be happy. Check in with yourself to see what you need to stay and be happy. Everyone deserves to feel good about what they do every day. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your team. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself.
