Why People Resign in 2016

Having been in recruitment for almost 10 years (8 years' in Brisbane) I have spoken to literally thousands of people looking to leave their employer. Obviously the reasoning is unique to each individual, but there have been a few distinct reasons that have come up consistently in 2016.

1. Work/life balance

I am being told more than ever before that this is at the top of candidates’ wish lists. Whether you want to take up Zumba classes or spend more time with the family, it’s very tricky to do this when you are consistently putting in 50+ hours a week. Employers are now giving their staff heavier workloads as they try to cut costs and 'optimise'. This is putting immense stress on people's personal lives and that of their family. Sadly, there are plenty of people out there at breaking point, who feel unable to talk to their employer and that resigning is the only way out. From my experience, what happens from here is that their employer will often go through several replacements who ‘don’t work out’ before they eventually realise that it is almost impossible for someone to keep up with the unrealistic pace and workload.

2. Instability

This is often due to the dreaded yet inevitable ‘restructure', creating fear and panic or a harsh sense of reality that staff could lose their jobs in the not to distant future. Equally, company performance is often clear for everyone to see and declining revenues will make employees think they should 'jump ship' before it’s too late.

3. Personal Development/Challenge

2016 has seen plenty of people stagnate in their career. The same old work routine has gone on for far too long for some and they soon realise that it’s time to take on something new and challenging. In my opinion, if you don't think there’s much more opportunity to add any more achievements to your CV, it's probably time to leave! Some of you might be surprised that ‘dollars’ have not featured in my top three reason for resigning. Obviously it will always be a consideration, but as long as salary expectations is not less than 10-15% of a person’s current salary, the reasons I have outlined will always prevail. If you are considering a career move for one of the reasons mentioned above and you are sitting in an interview for a new role, I advise you to be absolutely clear with your potential new employer as to why you are leaving your current role. Seeking a work/life balance is a valid reason, but I find that candidates worry that employers will think they are not ‘hard workers’ or are looking ‘to take it easy’. Clarify what you mean by this and see if your prospective line manager and you are on the same page. Don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer what they can offer and what the company environment is like. Most importantly, thoroughly research the company. I don’t just mean putting their name into Google and browsing the company website. See if you have any mutual connections and find out the company reputation by someone you trust. You might be surprised how connected we all are…