According to a recent report by Great Place To Work Belgium, and Vlerick Business School, the lack of career development was the top reason for employees quitting their jobs.
The report found that many employees consider leaving their organisation because of a lack in trust for management and poor workplace culture.
Great Ways to Explore Career Expectations was a study conducted by Felien Lisson and Astrid Vandenbroucke, both of Great Place To Work Belgium, and Dirk Buyens Professor of HR Management, Vlerick Business School.
The report examines how employees look for jobs, what they expect from their employer, what motivates talent retention and attraction, and the effectiveness of branding.
Researchers surveyed more than 300 Belgian employees in 2023 or 2024. Participants were asked questions about their career goals and what they expected from an ideal employer.
The research not only identified the reasons why people leave an organisation, but also the main reason why they join one, like financial motivations. The research also found that future career development, meaningful employment and a positive workplace culture were all factors that drive people to join a specific organisation.
It is interesting to note that women place more value on a role that allows them to be flexible in their work schedules and locations, whereas men are more likely to focus on the compensation offered by a role.
The competition to retain and attract top talent has never been fiercer. Koen Dewettinck is the CEO of Great Place to Work Belgium and Vlerick professor. He says that with remote working, a globalised world, and new technologies the talent pool has grown, but also the choices for talent. “Companies need to constantly reinvent themselves, and they must commit to good HR practice to retain and attract their employees.”
Researchers also discovered that LinkedIn and other social networks were the most popular way to apply for a job. Other popular methods included word-of-mouth, company websites and specific job platforms.
Researchers also asked about the psychological contract, which is a mutual understanding between employers and employees on what they can expect from an organisation. In the study, employees ranked a positive social environment, good communication, job variety, an attractive pay package and benefits, as well as a matching company culture, amongst their top five psychological contract factors.
Research also showed that companies that had a good reputation for treating employees well were more likely than others to be able to retain and attract quality staff. In fact, potential applicants are more likely to apply to a company that has been recognized for its great workplace through awards, certificates, and other recognition.
The lack of career development as the main reason employees leave their jobs was first published on Human Resources News.
