Horrible bosses among top reasons workers leave their jobs

New research reveals the most common reasons that Australians leave their job. Hint: it’s not about the money.

Bad bosses are driving away top talent, as many Australians refuse to put up with workplaces that do not meet their standards.

Almost a third of workers say poor management has caused them to leave a job (31 per cent), SEEK research reveals.

Other common reasons for leaving include a lack of career progression (26 per cent), unsatisfactory working conditions or a negative environment (22 per cent) and making a career change (21 per cent).

Workers without opportunity to progress become bored and leave their employer. Picture: iStock

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Australian Institute of Management’s 2019 Leadership Survey also finds good bosses make a significant contribution to a worker’s willingness to stay with an organisation.

More than 72 per cent of its respondents say they have left a job in the past because of the leadership team.

The top three skills workers believe leaders must strengthen include communication (36 per cent), people management (26 per cent) and leading by example (23 per cent).

AIM chief executive Ben Foote says leaders must display emotional intelligence to ensure employees feel they matter and are cared for.

“Leaders need to develop strategies for expressing ideas and break down barriers to effective communication to boost employee retention rates,” he says.

“Communication is about adapting your behaviours to better express yourself in the workplace, to actively listen to others, and to give and receive appropriate feedback.”

Psychologist Sabina Read says workers should know what they want in their next job before leaving their current one. Picture: Supplied

SEEK resident psychologist Sabina Read says rather than labelling a prospective boss as “bad” or “good” workers should consider what they are seeking in a boss.

“Are you looking for a mentor, wise elder, inspiring go-getter, team player, independent operator, a person who challenges the status quo, someone who values learning and development, or someone whose values align with your own?” she says.

“When the employee-boss match isn’t a good fit, the costs are high to our professional and personal wellbeing.”

To help jobseekers decide “Should I stay or should I go?”, SEEK has developed an online quiz that delves into why a worker may want to leave their job and how prepared they are for a change.

Read says when it comes to making the decision to leave a job, many workers know what they are running from but fewer know exactly what they are running to.

“Deciding to move jobs, whatever the reason, is a challenging and emotional decision, that can significantly impact wellbeing,” she says.

“So many of us know what we don’t want in a job, but fewer of us are able to articulate what really matters in our work, and how to proactively move towards those goals.

“Unless we have a clear understanding of (these things), we risk finding ourselves in the same situation but just in a different location.”

Rowe Advisory’s Jody Rowe says people leave their jobs when they do not feel valued. Picture: Farouk Zawady

Jody Rowe, chief executive of Rowe Advisory, says people rarely leave their role because of money.

Instead, it usually comes down to feeling valued and having opportunities for career progression.

She says workers should look for employers who share their values and have a good organisational culture.

“Do your homework – meet a few people before accepting the position, ask for employee turnover rates and read annual reports,” she says.

“Don’t panic, good people are in demand and will always find work, so make sure the role will support your career progression and make you happy.”

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