Study Suggests Employees Leave Bosses, Not Jobs  |
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 Careful selection of employees and managers can have a huge impact on your employee retention efforts and employee turnover costs at your organization.It has been said more than once, and for good reason, that employees leave their bosses - not their jobs. A Florida State University study scheduled for full release in the Fall 2007 issue of Leadership Quarterly confirms this. The study conducted by FSU professor Wayne Hochwarter and two doctoral students - Paul Harvey and Jason Stoner - shows that 40% of employees work for bad bosses based on survey results. The reasons that employers score poorly are varied and many:
Read the FSU study here. So what does this all boil down to? The effects of having bad bosses in your organization can be devastating. High turnover, poor employee morale, employee theft, diminished customer service, substandard employee performance, lower production, and an organizational culture of fear and mistrust can all be blamed in part on poor bosses and managers. The costs of having poor managers and bosses can be incredible. Consider the cost of employee turnover, which is different for all industries and positions, but has been roughly estimated at $15,000 - $17,000 per employee in low to moderately skilled positions. Having a manager who drives potentially valuable employees from your organization can have a huge impact on your bottom line, and your customers. How many employees have you lost due to poor manager - employee relationships?  Respondents of the survey also indicated that a good work environment was often much more important than their current pay level. Employees who work under poor bosses are less likely to give the extra effort asked of them when it is needed most. These employees are less likely to take on additional tasks, work longer hours, or work occasional weekends, and are generally less satisfied with their jobs. Many employees would be willing to supply additional time and effort when asked of them, and might only require minimal compensation if they are happy with their job and work environment. While those employees who are dissatisfied with their current job conditions are likely to refuse outright, or demand costly compensation for their efforts. The ramifications are immense. Managers and Bosses should be the captains of your organizational team. They should be great motivators, innovators, and leaders, who inspire the team members they supervise to achieve great things. These managers understand how to treat employees fairly and with respect, and more importantly understand why it is important to do so. Managers who do this in turn breed new leaders for the organization who will follow the example set forth by their predecessors. Poor managers on the other hand lead by fear, mistrust, and deceit. Employees who cannot adapt to this environment are likely to defect, and with good reason. Those who do stay are often unhappy with their work environment, or worse adapt to and reinforce this self-perpetuating culture. Some of these employees will eventually move on to management positions themselves and continue the cycle of poor managers and less than stellar results.  It is clear to see that the stakes couldn't be higher when it comes to selecting who will manage the employees of your organization. Hiring a bad manager can have devastating effects on your company and can put the organization in a serious rut which can be nearly impossible to get out of. While having a great management team can ensure the future succession of new successful managers and the overall health and longevity of your organization. You might be throwing money out the window trying to retain unhappy employees with bonuses, work perks, and additional salary when the root of the problem is contempt for the supervisor he or she reports to. How much money could you save with better managers and happier employees??? The problem is clear, and a solution at hand: hire and retain better managers who in turn retain better employees who are then able become strong and effective managers. Sounds good on paper right? But how do you get started? Here at The Rainmaker Group we have some of the best in class personality assessments available to us. These assessments can give shocking insight into potential employees, managers, and leaders in your organization. At The Rainmaker Group we don't sell personality assessments - anyone can sell you that. At The Rainmaker Group we deliver results. As a business partner committed to helping you maximize the potential of your organization we will help you identify the skills and characteristics crucial to success for leadership roles in your company. Through the use of our Personality Assessments and Job Benchmarking techniques we will help you determine an ideal candidate for management positions and then match potential candidates based on their skills, values, behaviors, and attributes. These assessment tools can help to identify which individuals are fit or unfit for leadership roles in your organization. Our assessments can help to raise potential red flags during the hiring and selection process. For example does the candidate desire power within your company because he or she truly believes he can effectively lead others for the betterment of the company, or does he or she desire organization power as a means to exert his or her will on subordinates for their own personal benefit. There is a huge difference between the two candidates described above, and it can be very costly to find out the hard way. At The Rainmaker Group we help to hedge your bets by giving you the most detailed insight into the motives and desires of your potential job candidates. Using these tools effectively can help to ensure a healthy line of employee succession within your company and ensure the overall health and survivability of your organization. The Rainmaker Group is committed to helping your organization maximize its potential. We are here to help and would love to hear from you! Learn more about Effective Employee Selection and Retention at our website, or give us a shout today! 1-866-988-RAIN  References: http://www.fsu.edu/news/2006/12/04/bad.boss/ Additional Information and Resources:  |
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