Resignations are part of the working world. The concept of a ‘job for life’ has all but disappeared, with a more individualistic take on work enthralling the younger generations.
That's particularly true for independent agencies, where just a few producers stay with a company long enough to develop a profitable book of business.
A new white paper, The Exit Process: How to gain valuable insights to build a better workplace from Robert Walters, revealed that an average of 40 per cent of professionals spend three to four years in a role, with many leaving because they no longer feel challenged (33 per cent), they have problems with a colleague or company culture (27 per cent), they feel they have limited opportunity for growth (26 per cent), or they feel undervalued (24 per cent)/underpaid (22 per cent).
These figures are important, as the study found a lack of continuity between them and the reasons employers think staff resign. Employers ranked limited opportunity for growth (42 per cent), feeling underpaid (30 per cent) or being headhunted by another organization (22 per cent) as the primary reasons.
The report surveyed over 300 hiring managers and more than 700 professionals.
Many professionals stated they would tell their current employer they were unhappy before searching for another role, although the results were close. More than half, 52 per cent, would tell their manager, while 48 per cent would not.
Conversely, the overwhelming majority (95 per cent) of hiring managers stated they encourage employees to come to them with their problems before beginning a job search.
Key takeaways for agency managers
Regardless, sometimes employees are going to leave. If you suspect a staff member might be thinking about jumping ship, Robert Walters boiled it down to five warning signs to look out for:
• Lateness
• Increased sick days
• More time spent on personal emails, phone calls and websites
• Negativity towards their work or colleagues
• Focus on the short term rather than any long-term plans or solutions
