If you can’t beat ‘em…. leave ‘em?

The Galatians were a prized possession of Paul. It was so important to him that this church turned from its wayward theologies that he wrote the letter himself, somewhat of a rarity for Paul.

There is no denying the sense of loss we feel when someone we know, or perhaps even love, decides to leave the community, relationship, or deal we’ve made. Whether it is a loss of a client, the loss of a coworker, or the loss of a significant other, the feeling is always there, to various degrees.

Much has been made of the propensity of younger generations to job-hop. Statistics regularly show the benefit in compensation and responsibilities as employees leave companies for others. Each resignation brings lost overhead and expertise. It begins a new cycle of hiring and reduced capacities. Whether the rest of the team appreciated the employee or not, they will likely feel the effect of the additional workload required to cover the lost labor.

Losing an employee is hard.

Truth hurts

But what should we say about the fact that culture proves that job-hopping is in the best interest of the employee? Loyalty was earned in past generations through labor unions and pension plans; however, those have been largely knee-capped. Companies show little loyalty to employees; why should employees offer any loyalty back to companies? Just look at the layoffs happening in the tech sector these days…

How are you treating your employees? Are you treating them like you want them to stay? Sure, we cannot ignore the simple market mechanics of maintaining our P&L sheets, but are we doing the best we can to keep them through other incentives like work-life balance opportunities, extracurricular benefits, or more?

Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a man who paid all his laborers the same, regardless of their start times (Matthew 20). That is antithetical to the American standard. What if the American standard isn’t the best option?

I encourage you to place yourself in the shoes of your employees, your direct reports, or your peers. Are you contributing to their feeling of value and appreciation? Are you making it hard for them to leave for another opportunity?

All of us are looking for purpose. Yes, some jobs inspire more purpose and meaning than others, but if you can relate the importance of their role—the reason the job exists at all—to the company’s success, the employee will appreciate their tasks more. If you can help the employee feel valued that they occupy that role, it will make leaving more difficult for them. If you truly do not care about either, it’s probably time to find a new employee or reassess the value of the role.

We’re all looking for our best opportunities. Are you helping your employees to look inward instead of outward?