How to lose your employees

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on my motivations on quitting my current job.

As the day continues as normal around me, and no one even seems to acknowledge that it's my last day (expect for the office manager, who asked for the key to the door back), it dawns upon my that I really do not matter in this place. And that's probably a problem.

Not for me of course - I don't care, I'm leaving - but for the company.

Because I'm cool, I read a lot of LinkedIn articles, many of them on employment, often from the perspective of employers and, less often, employees. A trend that has struck me is the discussion over companies' inability to retain top talent. Now, I wouldn't exactly say that I fall into this category, but the contrast between people staying and keeping people is so stark it's almost oppressive at this company.

The turnover is high for sure, unsurprising in an establishment with only 40 employees, but it's the type of people who are going (and coming) that strikes me the most. Many people leave after a year or more yes, but that's after sticking around for a year or more in a job that:

• develops no discernible skills
• does not reward based on merit, but rather on tenure
• has no training scheme or advancement plan
• runs on the business model 'all things being equal'

The people who stay for more than a year are comfortable and - no disrespect to my colleagues at all - are probably not going to be the future innovators and leaders of the business world anywhere other than here. Sure, it may be worth staying for the automatic promotion everyone seems to receive after 11 months, but is working 10+ hours a day in a job where you're micromanaged to the point where you're barely trusted to show up really worth it? Not for many people, some of whom have left after just under 3 months.

It seems to me, then, that this company runs on the theory that "there will always be someone looking for a job", rather than "who really wants this job, will be good at it, and will be of benefit of the company in years to come". I've always had the feeling that a monkey could do my job, but the people who are running this company seem to believe in this idea.

My manager didn't even blink when I handed in my notice, and I remember at my final interview being asked by the MD "You got a first in your degree and probably have a lot of opportunities lined up. What can we do to make you stay here for a good period of time?"

But they never acted upon my suggestions. I've even made suggestions for little improvements during my time here, all of which have been smiled at, probably patronisingly now that I look back at it. They don't want my input, they want me to do as I'm told, without question. It would have been nice if they'd told me that in the first place.

As I write this post, I haven't done any work for over 2 hours. What my manager wanted me to do, I've done, and that's that (including writing a guideline report for the person replacing me in a couple of weeks). No questions, no suggestions, no change.

Just the indifferent silence of an employer waiting for the next monkey to walk through the door.