9 Reasons Good Employees Leave -- and How You Can Prevent It

By Rich Hein
culled from:http://www.cio.com

The average tenure for IT workers is less than 3.8 years, according to Payscale. And while you’ll never eliminate employee turnover, these strategies can help you motivate and ultimately retain your best talent.

If your managers are offering constructive feedback on a regular basis and talking about career goals at least once a year with employees, then your organization is probably better connected with your employees than most. While many experts agree that once a year performance reviews are the minimum, most agree that more is better, especially with millennials.

"The more frequently you can have those [performance] discussions, the easier it is to catch and correct a [problem] and support great behavior or performance," says Furlow. "Having a structured and pointed career development session every 6 months with the employees on your teams can add huge value when it comes to growth, engagement and retention."

Regular feedback will also give you more warning when people are feeling dissatisfied or disengaged. "Checking in with your employees a couple times a year provides a sense of interest in the employee's success and in many cases will give early warnings of dissatisfaction, allowing for an opportunity to change course if warranted," says Stevens.
Lack of Accountability

One sure way to drive down morale is to not hold managers and employees accountable. "Creating a culture of personal accountability is a must. People should understand that they are in the driver seat when it comes to their careers and the right cultural approaches support and nurture that mindset,"says Topinka.
Recognize and Reward Good Employees

Recognize and reward your employees for their outstanding work. Money isn't always the top motivator. So you've got to know on a case by case basis what it is that motivates your top talent. This can take many forms. It could be internal recognition, a promotion, extra vacation time or a flexible schedule. To find out what employees' value most, ask.

"The biggest impact companies can make is to recognize and reward solid performance. This can take the form of a pat on the back for a job well done, financial incentives, or even promotions and giving high performers more responsibility, "says Topinka.
Employee's Not Taking Responsibility for Their Careers

Another issue that Topinka says he often sees cis employees who don't take responsibility for their own careers. From their perspective it's the organization's and manager's job to do this. "Too many employees are not proactive in managing their own careers - they expect their companies to do that for them. I like putting the responsibility for mapping career goals on employees. It is their careers to manage after all."
Not Offer Flexible Hours or Telecommuting

In the tech space, flexible scheduling and telecommuting have become common. "Flexible work time and the ability to be a virtual employee are so prevalent in today's workforce that they are becoming an expectation," says Furlow. Moreover, "the ability to work a flexible schedule can be a [great]way to retain professionals."
Understanding the Organization's Goals and Vision

If your employees don't understand what the organization's, or their department's, goals are, or what their role is in the overall strategy, chances are, they will not be as engaged.

"Communicating the technology strategy and how it reflects the organization's objectives is essential to employee engagement," says Stevens. "This is so central to succeeding that it needs to be continually and consistently presented at various levels of the organization, so the team can be part owners and champions of the strategy."