It is an unfortunate event when a great engineer informs you that they are leaving your company. For many engineering firms and other companies, this is becoming a big problem. When one of your top engineers leaves your company, it can be frustrating for a number of reasons. First, you have to find a replacement, which requires a lot of time and resources. Second, you are probably wondering why they left and how you can prevent the same issues in the future. Austin Nichols Technical Search is a technical recruiting firm that understands why many engineers end up leaving their jobs, and we are here to help you understand and improve your company.
1. Bad Bosses
Over the course of our working lives, we are bound to deal with bad bosses, but this is one of the top reasons that great engineers leave companies. No matter how great the job is, a bad boss will quickly sour even the most tolerant engineers. Instead of waiting around for a promotion or pay raise, great engineers know that they deserve better and will seek it out elsewhere.
When engineers are unhappy with their managers, they will start looking for jobs at other companies. In fact, most engineers who are dissatisfied with those in supervisory roles often won’t stay for long. If you have a lot of great engineers leaving prematurely, it is time to start investigating those in managing roles within your company.
2. Boring Work
Unfortunately, not all engineering jobs are exciting. Top engineers are likely to get bored if the job isn’t challenging or tough. Engineers who aren’t being challenged are going to start looking for a job that will provide them with the difficulty that they desire. Engineers like to innovate and develop new things, and when the work doesn’t allow for them to meet those desires, they probably aren’t going to stay around for too long.
3. Long Commutes
As the price of living in cities continues to rise, many people are looking for living quarters that are further from their jobs. The commute can require long drives or rides on a train, bus, or tram. In large metropolitan areas, this can be especially difficult to deal with on a daily basis.
According to the U.S Census Bureau, the average commute in the United States is just over 25 minutes. The long commute time can lead to engineers looking for positions that are closer to their homes. It has also been shown that shorter commute times can increase an employee’s productivity and work performance. Research has also shown that engineers who work near their homes tend to stay at that company longer.
Research shows that stressful commutes that may include traffic jams, delayed public transportation, or missed transportation can lead to angry, stress, and anxiety, which can affect employee performance and attitudes at work.
4. Lack of Advancement Opportunities
The number one reason that engineers quit their jobs is that there aren’t advancement opportunities. If an engineer believes that they are stuck in a dead-end job, they will look for a chance to grow in other places. Lack of advancement opportunities will lead engineers who love their jobs and are well-compensated to leave despite the positives. Companies need to make sure that advancement opportunities are available if they want to keep engineers around.
It is easy to forget that people crave growth and success in their work. If you offer growth opportunities, you are much more likely to keep good people around.
5. Lack of Recognition
Everyone likes to be told that they are doing a good job. Over time, the lack of recognition for a job well done can start to feel demoralizing. Without recognition, engineers may feel like they are undervalued and unappreciated.
Combat this issue by telling members of your team when they are doing exceptional work. You may want to provide incentives for those who are doing an outstanding job. Whatever you do, just find a way to make those who contribute a lot to your company feel like the work they are doing is important and appreciated by those who are higher-up in the company.
6. Low Pay
Everyone worries about their salary. If an engineer starts to feel like they are doing a lot of work for not enough pay, they will probably find a company that will pay them what they deserve to be making. While raises aren’t always an option for companies, you can try to make up for low pay in other ways such as paid lunches, exceptional health insurance, retirement benefits, and more.
7. Lack of Work/Life Balance
Working too many hours will quickly lead to burnt out engineers. The lack of proper work/life balance can wear on even the toughest engineers. Consider what you are asking of engineers if you start to notice that people are quitting left and right.
Research has shown that people, especially young people, will do whatever it takes to have a better balance between their work and their personal lives. If you are asking people to work 50+ hours per week, it might be time to add a new person to the team to prevent current employees from hitting the road.
While this article is specific to engineers, these problems could be the reason that people in all industries are leaving their jobs as well. While it is hard to deal with commuting problems, all of the other issues on this list can be directly impacted by the company. Consider taking a look at what you can do to make your employees feel valued and excited about the position and any possible opportunities within the company.
If you are looking for great new employees, Austin Nichols might be able to help. We are experts in technical recruiting, and we have a large database of potential employees that you might want to reach out to. To get started, give us a call today at 816-471-5575.
