WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS?

Azim Premji – CEO India

Every company normally faces one common problem of high employee turnout ratio. People are leaving the company for better pay, better profile or simply for just one reason 'pak gaya'. This article might just throw some light on the matter......

Early this year, Arun, an old friend who is a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO of this company, charismatic man often quoted in the business press for his visionary attitude. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food. Twice Arun was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined. "It's a real high working with such cutting edge technology." Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Arun walked out of the job. He has no other offer in hand but he said he couldn't take it anymore. Nor, apparently, could several other people in his department who have also quit recently.

The CEO is distressed about the high employee turnover. He's distressed about the money he's spent in training them. He's distressed because he can't figure out what happened. Why did this talented employee leave despite a top salary? Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away. The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called First Break All The Rules.

It came up with this surprising finding:

If you're losing good people, look to their immediate supervisor. More than any other single reason, he is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why they quit, taking their knowledge, experience and contacts with them. Often, straight to the competition. "People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. "So much money has been thrown at the challenge of keeping good people - in the form of better pay, better perks and better training - when, in the end, turnover is mostly manager issue." If you have a turnover problem, look first to your managers. Are they driving people away? Beyond a point, an employee's primary need has less to do with money, and more to do with how he's treated and how valued he feels. Much of this depends directly on the immediate manager. And yet, bad bosses seem to happen to good people everywhere.. A Fortune magazine survey some years ago found that nearly 75 per cent of employees have suffered at the hands of difficult superiors. You can leave one job to find - you guessed it, another wolf in a pin-stripe suit in the next one. Of all the workplace stressors, a bad boss is possibly the worst, directly impacting the emotional health and productivity of employees. HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find public humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted.. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he starts looking for another job. When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information.

Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don't have your heart and soul in the job." Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over seemingly trivial issue. It isn't the 100th blow that knocks a good man down. It's the 99 that went before. And while it's true that people leave jobs for all kinds of reasons- for better opportunities or for circumstantial reasons, many who leave would have stayed - had it not been for one man constantly telling them, as Arun's boss did: "You are dispensable. I can find dozens like you." While it seems like there are plenty of other fish especially in today's waters, consider for a moment the cost of losing a talented employee.There's the cost of finding a replacement. The cost of training the replacement. The cost of not having someone to do the job in the meantime. The loss of clients and contacts the person had with the industry. The loss of morale in co-workers. The loss of trade secrets this person may now share with others. Plus, of course, the loss of the company's reputation. Every person who leaves a corporation then becomes its ambassador, for better or for worse. We all know of large IT companies that people would love to join and large television companies few want to go near. In both cases, former employees have left to tell their tales.


"Any company trying to compete must figure out a way to engage the mind of every employee," Jack Welch of GE once said. Much of a company's value lies "between the ears of its employees". If it's bleeding talent, it's bleeding value. Unfortunately, many senior executives busy travelling the world, signing new deals and developing a vision for the company, have little idea of what may be going on at home.That deep within an organization that otherwise does all the right things, one man could be driving its best people away.

My Comments: This is a one sided story. This is 50% true and 50% false. As per my experience, in many cases people quit the company because of their inability, less faith on what they does failure to cope up with their immediate bosses (because they lacks something in technical, time management or else process adherence).

I’ve seen superb managers, none of them add additional pressure on fellow workers, they did their best to the employees, they were there to take the blame on-behalf of the team, they work so hard to collect a credit for their team and to give value addition to their team members. Even with such a heroic effort fellow members quit the team. After studying the scenarios I found few common reasons;

- Some had their own hidden agendas

- Some of them over valued them

- Some of them thought they were doing everything but doing nothing and killing the time (They are just adding 8 hours to the work log and nobody won't see anything productive from the logged hours)

Resumes, CVs and More: Organizing Your Qualifications

By Todd Anten

Salespeople have a variety of pitches they can make when selling a product. It's just a matter of deciding which pitch is the right one for that customer.

Now, think of a potential employer as a customer and yourself as the salesperson -- and the product.

In order to successfully sell yourself, you have to face a tough decision: How to advertise your qualifications in the most effective way possible. It may involve a chronological resume or a functional resume ... or perhaps no resume at all.

Here are your basic options:

Chronological Resume

"Chrono" is Greek for "time," so it's no surprise that a chronological resume is organized by your employment timeline.

Chronological resumes are the most common choice for job seekers -- and for good reason:

• They're easy to write. The organization is predetermined, so it's one less thing to stress over.
• Recruiters prefer them. A recent HotJobs survey revealed that 84 percent of recruiters prefer chronological resumes.

So unless you have a good reason, you should generally stick to the chronological resume format.

To create a chronological resume, begin with your most recent experience and work your way back. For each job, list the name of the company, your title, where the job was located, your dates of employment and a few bullet points discussing your major achievements and responsibilities.

Functional Resume

Chronological resumes are great if your career path has been sure and steady. But there are circumstances where a chronological resume may not be the best choice. For instance, maybe you have ...

• a major time gap on your resume,
• a hodgepodge of experience without an overall focus,
• or a desire to change career fields.

In these situations, a functional resume might prove more useful than a chronological one.

Functional resumes highlight your skills instead of the companies you worked for. Functional resumes also downplay time gaps and career missteps.

A functional resume generally splits your work history into two sections. In the first section, list the skills and experience you have that relate to the job you're applying for. In the second section, provide a list of the places you have worked, as well as the dates you worked there.

Recruiters tend to be wary of functional resumes, but if you suspect that a chronological resume won't get you through the door, a functional resume is a good second choice.

Curriculum Vita

When most job postings ask for a resume, the implication is that they want a chronological or functional resume -- one page long, work experience, all that jazz.

But some jobs out there -- especially in the education and research fields -- require a curriculum vita (CV).

CVs are not resumes. Commonly used among academics in the U.S., CVs are much more comprehensive than resumes. A CV lists almost every work-related accomplishment you've ever had, from papers published to presentations given to classes taught to awards won. In short, they're long. Some CVs extend over 30 pages.

CVs for non-education related fields are sometimes used in other countries. In Europe, for example, CVs are generally accepted for everyday jobs. In the U.S., however, you should never send a CV unless the job ad specifically asks for one.

Candidate Profile: The Anti-Resume

You may be surprised (and relieved) to learn that there is some movement away from evaluating job seekers only by their resumes.

Some employers, faced with a stack of resumes, are using an alternative: Candidate profiles.

Candidate profiles ask online applicants to rank themselves on job related characteristics, including the ability to manage stressful situations, creativity and problem-solving ability, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Employers use the results to find qualified candidates and reserve traditional resumes for later in the selection process.

While candidate profiles probably won't mean the death of the resume, it may take some of the pressure off having a perfect one.

As you decide which organization works best for you -- chronological resume, functional resume, curriculum vita or candidate profile -- keep in mind that employers don't hire pieces of paper. They hire people. So do your best to let the real you shine through.

About Your Online Resume

Do's and Don'ts for Online Resumes

As a job seeker in the electronic age, it's important to be savvy when it comes to online tools that will help you land your next job.

Online and "traditional" off-line resumes share some similarities. Both serve to show potential employers why you are the best candidate for the job.

"The content of online and off-line resumes is basically the same," says Hannah Seligson, author of "New Girl on the Job: Advice from the Trenches." "But it's even more important that your online resume stand out. With an online resume, you are dealing with a critical mass, as opposed to an off-line resume that is usually handed to a personal contact."

So what can you do to ensure that your online resume will impress employers? Here are some do's and don'ts for creating a winning online resume.

Do: Make Your Online Resume Keyword-Rich

Meg Montford, of the career coaching firm Abilities Enhanced, says that keywords are vital for online resumes. Montford suggests searching through job postings for your industry to find common terms, and make sure those words are in your resume. Montford also advises job seekers to spell out acronyms to increase hits to your resume.

Lindsey Pollak, author of "Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World," agrees. "Since a computer will be scanning your resume before a human being ever sees it, you need to 'speak' in a language a computer can understand."

Don't: Embellish

Just because you're posting a resume online doesn't mean its OK to embellish your qualifications.

"Don't over-inflate what you've done," cautions Seligson. "There's a funny scenario where a vice president of the company, who is doing the hiring for an entry-level position, reads the job applicant's resume and says (sarcastically),'Wow, sounds like you've already had my job. It doesn't seem like you need to start at entry-level.' It's better to say less and have it accurately reflect what you did in previous jobs than to over-inflate -- something most hiring managers can see right through."

Do: Be Positive

Many disgruntled employees have been fired for airing their frustrations about their jobs online for the entire world to read. Montford warns that it's important not to accumulate digital dirt that could cost you your current and future jobs. "Keep your online identity positive. Recruiters and companies go to the web first to screen candidates, so it's vital to have a positive presence," says Montford.

Don't: Overlook the Power of the Web to Sell Yourself

There are numerous options available on the Internet for promoting yourself to employers. Don't overlook blogs and your own resume web site as unique ways to reach out to potential employers.

"Every job seeker should have a blog and a keyword-rich resume on their own web site," says Montford. "You can blog about your industry and comment on articles and issues related to your field. Just remember to keep your comments positive."

Do: Be Cautious

Finally, realize that your current employee could be privy to your job search when using online resumes. Keeping a low online profile while employed may be your safest bet.

Five Common Cover Letter Mistakes

In recent past I used to interview nearly 250 – 300 candidates for just five vacant positions. All of them were graduates with good grades but none of their CVs were detail enough for us to identify their capabilities at very beginning. Ultimately it cost us about 300 man hours (collectively) without getting any positive outcome. Therefore I decided to publish couple of articles collected from yahoo. These articles outlining how to create a winning resume for those who seeking a job opportunity.

Recruiters read thousands of resumes over their careers. After a while, all those resumes start to blend together.

So how can you, an anonymous job seeker, catch a recruiter's eye? Introduce yourself with an effective cover letter.

Sure, a resume lists all of your achievements, but a resume can't capture your personality, passion or desire for a particular job. A cover letter is the perfect place to let potential employers know you as a person: What you've done, what you can offer and how you express yourself. And there's an added bonus: You can write in full sentences instead of fragments or bullet points.

Many job seekers spend hours crafting each item on their resume. Then they whip out a quick-and-dirty cover letter full of mistakes -- not realizing that a cover letter is just as important as a resume.

One common cover letter goof: Typos and spelling errors. To avoid spelling errors and typos, write your cover letter using a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word. Next, spell-check the document. Then read the document out loud -- you may catch spelling errors the computer missed (such as accidentally writing "jog" instead of "job"). Only after you have double-checked your cover letter should you attach it to your resume and send it off.

Here are some other all-too-common cover letter blunders and how to fix them.

Name That Job

What's one of the first things you should do after greeting the reader of a cover letter?

State exactly which job you're applying for. Include the exact name of the position. If the ad provided a job ID number, then include that too. It's also a good idea to mention where you heard about the opening.

There's a good reason for being so specific: Many recruiters handle hundreds of job openings, so they won't automatically know which one you're gunning for. By reminding them of the specific opening for which you're applying, you'll make it more likely that your resume will be read by the right person. And besides, anything you can do to make a recruiter's job easier will put you on their good side.

The Danger of Form Cover Letters

Do you send the exact same cover letter to every employer, only changing the name of the person to whom you're sending it?

Big mistake.

The point of a cover letter is to make a personal connection with the reader. So to write a successful cover letter, you should tailor it specifically to each company you send it to. For instance, display a knowledge of the company history or write about recent events or projects the company has undertaken. This will show that you have taken the time to research the company before sending in your resume -- and prove that you really want the job.

Don't Repeat Yourself

A common trap that many job seekers fall into when writing a cover letter is to simply regurgitate everything that's in their resume.

But if it's already in your resume, then you're just wasting your breath ... and a chance at the job.

A cover letter should not be a rehash of your resume; instead, it should offer deeper insights into what your resume does NOT say. Provide an in-depth explanation of some of your key achievements at your last job, for instance, and how those accomplishments could help the company. Or tell a story about a tough problem you solved. The point is: The recruiter already has your resume; the cover letter should add to it, not repeat it.

So when writing a cover letter, make sure it elaborates on what's already in your resume or provides some new information.

What Can You Do for Me?

When writing a cover letter, many people discuss why they need the job ...

• "I need the money."
• "I find the position interesting."
• "I've wanted to work for you since I was a kid."
• "I need more experience in the industry."
• "Since your company is the best in the industry, a job there would help my career."

Here's a newsflash: Companies don't really care about your needs. They're not hiring you to enrich your life or provide you with an income. They're hiring you because they need a job done.

That means your cover letter should focus on the company's needs and how you can fulfill them, not what the company can do for you.

A good way to start: Look at the requirements for the position in the job ad. Then, in your cover letter, discuss point by point how you meet (or even exceed) those requirements. By using the job ad as a guide, you'll show the company how hiring you benefits them and not just you.

One last note: Try to be both confident and humble when discussing what you can offer the company. While you certainly want to appear competent, arrogance can turn off a recruiter. Show enthusiasm and keep a positive attitude, and your cover letter will take you far.