"The Real Reason Your Employees Keep Leaving"

Exit interviews are polite fiction. Departing employees say they’re leaving for “a great opportunity” or “career growth” because it’s easier than telling you the truth.

The truth is usually about you—or more specifically, about management.

People Leave Managers, Not Companies

Research consistently shows that an employee’s relationship with their direct manager is the strongest predictor of whether they stay or go.

Employees can tolerate imperfect companies, below-market salaries, and frustrating processes if they have a manager who respects them, develops them, and has their back.

They’ll leave great companies with premium salaries if their manager makes their work life miserable.

The Common Manager Failures

Most managers don’t intend to drive employees away. But certain behaviours reliably do:

Micromanagement. Nothing says “I don’t trust you” louder than constant oversight. Good employees want autonomy. When you hover, your best people start looking elsewhere.

Lack of recognition. Humans need to feel their work matters. If accomplishments go unacknowledged while mistakes are highlighted, motivation erodes quickly.

Broken promises. “We’ll review your salary in six months.” “That promotion is coming.” “Things will get better soon.” Unkept promises destroy trust faster than almost anything else.

No development. Talented people want to grow. If the job looks identical today as it will in two years, ambitious employees will find growth somewhere else.

Unfair treatment. Whether it’s favouritism, inconsistent standards, or tolerating poor performers, perceived unfairness drives engagement into the ground.

Overwork without acknowledgment. Expecting sustained high performance without recognition, compensation, or eventual relief leads straight to burnout and resignation.

The Warning Signs You’re Missing

By the time someone hands in their notice, they’ve usually been mentally gone for months. Watch for earlier signs:

Decreased engagement in meetings. Less volunteering for projects. Reduced interaction with colleagues. “Quiet quitting” behaviours—doing the minimum. Increased sick days or late arrivals.

These aren’t always resignation precursors, but patterns across multiple signs warrant attention.

What Actually Retains People

Retention isn’t primarily about perks, ping pong tables, or even salary (though fair pay matters). It’s about fundamentals:

Clear expectations and fair feedback. People want to know what success looks like and where they stand.

Growth opportunities. Not everyone wants promotions, but everyone wants to feel they’re developing.

Reasonable autonomy. Trust people to do their jobs. Intervene when genuinely needed, not constantly.

Recognition. Both private acknowledgment and public credit when earned.

Genuine interest. Actually caring about employees as people, not just resources.

Protection. Having their backs when things go wrong. Not throwing them under the bus.

Before Blaming the Market

When you lose a good employee, the tempting narrative is “they got an offer we couldn’t match” or “the market is crazy right now.”

Sometimes that’s true. But often, the real story is that something in their work experience wasn’t good enough to keep them engaged when other options appeared.

Before your next great employee resigns, ask yourself honestly: am I giving them reasons to stay?