Reasons Why An Employee May Love Or Leave A Job

Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.
- G.B. Shaw

There could be multiple reasons to love or hate a job. If we go by the famous quote above, then a person whose passion and profession are same is indeed a happy person. Given that ‘millennials’ form a major chunk of the workforce, there is an additional emphasis on ‘doing what one loves’. However, not many are lucky enough to have a job that makes them happy and also pays their bills. Most have to learn to love it. Here are some of the reasons why an employee may love his/her job!

Reasons Why An Employee May Love His/Her Job

While the reasons differ from individual to individual, these are some of the general reasons why an employee may be in love with his/her job!

1. The Challenge

People love challenges and when they can solve problems and put their skills to good use, they love their jobs. Employees love jobs that provide variety, and where they can learn something new every day.

2. Good Bosses

Employees love a job if they have a kind, compassionate and considerate boss. They love when their boss allows them to experience challenges and appreciates their efforts and hard work.

3. Great Colleagues

Being able to get along with work colleagues makes life at work easier. However, in a situation where one can't tolerate co-workers, it can make life miserable. When employees are made to feel as a part of a “team” and believe everyone is marching towards the same goal, they love it. Talented and caring coworkers make a lot of difference.

4. The Work

Employees find satisfaction in doing a job in which they feel they made a difference. Helping others and achieving a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day makes their hard work worthwhile.

5. Good Salary and Incentives

This is perhaps among the top reasons for many employees. Employees do love a job if the payment is on par with their performance. Better bonus or incentives also help in employees being motivated and liking, if not loving, a job.

6. Inclusive and Flexible Work Environment

Employees prefer an organisation that has an open culture which allows them to participate, express their views and is open to feedback. A workplace that adapts with time and allows the employees to work on flexi-hours are preferred over the ones with strict policies.

7. Valuing Employees’ Personal Time

A workplace that values their personal time, cares for their well being, understands that they have commitments for family, beyond the work hours are always preferred by the employees.

8. Rewards and Recognition

In addition to this, employees also love jobs where their efforts are recognised and duly rewarded.

Reasons Why An Employee May Leave His/Her Job

Employees quit their job for many reasons. They follow spouses or partners across the country, stay home with children, change careers, find upwardly mobile career promotions, and go back to school. Those reasons are tough to address by an employer because they involve life events in the employee’s world outside of work. But, the majority of reasons why employees quit their job are under the control of the employer.

1. Bad Bosses

Employees don’t need to be friends with their boss but they need to have a relationship. The boss is too much of an integral part of their daily lives at work for an uncomfortable relationship.

The boss provides direction and feedback, spends time in one-to-one meetings, and connects the employee to the larger organization. To have a toxic relationship with the person an employee reports to undermines the employee’s engagement, confidence, and commitment.

2. Unchallenged By Work

If a job isn't challenging enough, an employee might be tempted to look for another job that pushes their limits. No one wants to be bored and unchallenged by their work. Employees spend more than a third of their days working, getting ready for work, and transporting themselves to work. So they want to enjoy their job. An employee needs to be engaged, excited and challenged to contribute, create, and perform. Otherwise, they lose interest in the job.

3. Coworker Problems

The coworker with whom an employee sits, interacts, and serves on teams, are critical components of an employee’s work environment. having a best friend at work makes things easier at work. Relationships with coworkers retain employees. However, a strained relationship with coworkers can cause attrition.

4. Lack Of Opportunities To Use Their Skills And Abilities

When employees use their significant skills and abilities on the job, they feel a sense of pride, accomplishment, and self-confidence. They are participating in activities that they are good at and that stretch their skills and abilities even further.

Employees want to develop and grow their skills. If they’re not able to do this on jobs, they’ll find one where they can. If an employee can’t see a path to continued growth in their current organization, they are likely to look elsewhere for a career development or promotion opportunity.

5. Contribution Of Their Work To The Organization’s Business Goals

Employees need to feel connected and that they are part of an effort that is larger than just their job. They need to feel as if they matter in the larger picture of the organization.

Too many managers assume that the employee will receive the communication about the vision, mission, and overall plan from executive staff and make this leap. They don’t. They can't. They need help to understand and connect their job to the bigger picture. If they’re not part of it, they will leave.

6. Lack Of Autonomy And Independence On The Job

Employees need to feel like they can independently get the job done rather than have their manager follow them around scrutinising everything they do.

7. Inappropriate Recognition Of Employee Job Performance

A lack of recognition can affect many of the above factors, especially culture, but it’s probably not the deciding factor in an employee's decision to leave an organization. Lots of genuine appreciation and recognition help an employee to stick to an organisation.

8. Personal Reasons

Not all employee leave due to the fault of the employer. Some leave due to personal reasons like shifting to some other city or finding a job nearer to home, finding a better job elsewhere, change in career, further their education, health issues, some personal loss etc.

There are so many reasons why employees decide to leave a company. Sometimes employers can't do anything about it but they can create a positive working environment to help reduce the chances of someone wanting to leave. Not all will love the job always but at least they won’t leave at the drop of a hat if the working environment is compatible.