Heads up: There’s a good chance a lot of your employees are currently looking for another job.
A recent study showed that almost three out of four employees are so unhappy with their jobs they are looking for employment elsewhere.
Mental Health America (MHA) and the Faas Foundation’s 2017 Mind The Workplace report found that 71% of the 17,000 U.S. workers surveyed want a company change. This may seem like a shocking number, but employees have some solid reasons.
Lack of recognition
Here’s why the study found employees are looking to jump ship:
- 45% of employees believe they “rarely or never” get the salary they deserve
- 44% think they are “always or often” overlooked by management, and
- 65% say their supervisors don’t support them enough.
Too much stress
Many also feel that they are overworked and managers set unrealistic deadlines.
- 67% of employees think their job has a “significant impact on their mental and behavioral health”
- 66% feel they can’t trust their coworkers and/or feel resentful of them, and
- 63% say they “always, often, or sometimes” take part in concerning behaviors such as drinking and crying regularly.
Besides losing employees, all this stress can cause a slew of other problems, such as absenteeism and bad behavior. A few stressed-out employees can affect the whole office, as president of MHA Paul Giofriddo explains:
“Employees who are overstressed and undersupported can significantly impact the people around them and the company’s success.”
In fact, 63% of employees say they often work alone due to negative office environments.
With these results, it’s no wonder that researchers at Harvard and Stanford University found that 120,000 workers leave their companies annually. But will switching jobs solve these problems? Not necessarily. There are stressed-out employees everywhere.
Solutions
While it seems difficult to change the negative feelings most employees have toward their jobs, there are small things employers can do to keep their workers happy and less likely to jump ship.
Paying more attention to them can go a long way. Believe it or not, research has shown that employees appreciate recognition more than a raise, Giofriddo says. Even companies with no wiggle room in the budget can improve their employees’ attitudes through appreciation.
Helping employees handle all their responsibilities can go a long way, too. If companies try not to overload workers, employees will experience less stress, and the attitude of the work environment can improve.
