Lack of Advancement Opportunities Chief Reason for Employee Turnover

Published: Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 22:00

According to a recent survey, 39 percent of executives say that good employees are most likely to quit their jobs due to a lack of advancement opportunities.

The survey, developed by Robert Half International Inc., shows that unhappiness with management is the second most common reason for employee attrition, at 23 percent. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 executives at the 1,000 largest U.S. companies.

Lack of recognition and inadequate salary and benefits follow with 17 and 11 percent, respectively, just ahead of the six percent who cited job boredom. Two percent quit their job due to lifestyle changes such as relocation, and the final 2 percent comprised all other responses.

"Helping top performers reach their professional goals is essential to retaining them," says Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. "The best employees are ambitious and may not stay in a position long if it lacks growth potential. If offering a promotion isn’t an immediate option, managers should consider providing employees with projects that will prepare them to assume greater responsibilities in the future."

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