What is your powerful reason you want to leave your job?

 It is important to find out what the actual issue is for wanting to leave your job.  By the time you’ve decided that you want to quit, many of us haven’t taken the time to really explore what it is that we don’t specifically like about it.  The problem with not putting the graft in now and working out what it is that is making you miserable, is that you may end up in the same situation again. 

There are loads of reasons that people leave a job and being able to identify exactly what isn’t right for you is key to you finding something that could make you a lot happier.  Let’s take a look at a few.  

1) Senior Management: Is the bad relationship with your boss the issue?  Is he / she someone that just isn’t your cup of tea? Someone you don’t buy into?  If you don’t buy into them, why exactly don’t you?   Do you feel like they’ve got your back?  Do you trust them?   An important question to ask is also does your boss inspire you?? 
Being inspired to do better is really important to keep us motivated.  Just saying you have a bad relationship isn’t the answer – break down the exact reasons you don’t gel well / click and make sure, as best you can, that you find what you want in a leader in your next role.

 Jim Rohn, motivational speaker, famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.

2) Job tasks Is what you actually do on a daily basis the issue? Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of my job but paperwork is not my forte and I have always avoided this at all costs. It’s when you hate the bulk of the tasks you have to do and are faced with a day of stuff that genuinely doesn’t bring out any level of joy , then you have to ask yourself, really?? So break your day down into exactly what you do – list everything and think about where you are spending your time. This would be a great time to also fully realise what bits do excite you and give you some joy.

Once you’ve done this, look at how much of your day is spent doing what gives you joy and vice versa. Then think about where you want to spend your time and what you want your day to look like.

3) Values and culture: Game changers. Have you ever worked somewhere where you feel you just don’t fit? Or you’re just not on the same page as everyone else? Or are having to do something that literally makes you get a knot in your tummy when you have to do it? Working in a place where you feel that you just don’t fit doesn’t mean necessarily mean the role isn’t right for you, it could be the company culture isn’t for you. Knowing your values really is important to you making decisions and finding a company where you are happy.

According to Gallup, 46% of starters leave #SMEs withing 18 months of joining and 89% of these people cite culture fit as the reason for leaving.

4) The Industry itself: Are you working with a product or service that you genuinely have no interest for? This differs so much for everyone but having a certain level of passion for your sector really is important if you actually want to enjoy your job.

5) Location: Do you like your job but sick of the commute. The daily grind can drive anyone mad but if the tube or being sat in traffic are bringing you down a lot and impacting into your personal life, maybe it’s time to rethink. Think about exactly what your limits are – would you be happy to still commute but maybe fewer days, shorter distance etc.

6) Salary: The bulk of people who approach us usually cite salary as a reason for wanting to leave. If this is accurate, what figure would actually make you stay? So many people would rather just leave than tackle the money conversation head on. Trust me, it costs a company a heck of a lot more to replace you – from the on-boarding costs, effect on other staff morale covering your work, training costs and the list goes on.
According to Oxford Economics, the average cost of replacing an employee is over £30,000, for salaries averaging at £30,000.

7) Opportunities / Development – Ultimately whatever your future vision of you and where you want to be look like, is there potential for you to achieve this where you are? Have you discussed it with your manager what you want and see if there is an opportunity for you to achieve your vision? If there isn’t, then maybe it is a good time to look to other opportunities.

Consider all of the above and write it all down. Writing it down will help give you perspective and even possible solutions to where you currently are to bring happiness back into your current role.

Putting the graft in now to work a lot of this stuff out now can save you a lot of confusion further down the line.

Thanks for reading and we’ll back with the next tip soon!

According to Oxford Economics, the average cost of replacing an employee is over £30,000, for salaries averaging at £30,000.

7) Opportunities / Development: Ultimately whatever your future vision of you and where you want to be look like, is there potential for you to achieve this where you are? Have you discussed it with your manager what you want and see if there is an opportunity for you to achieve your vision? If there isn’t, then maybe it is a good time to look to other opportunities.

Consider all of the above and write it all down. Writing it down will help give you perspective and even possible solutions to where you currently are to bring happiness back into your current role.

Putting the graft in now to work a lot of this stuff out now can save you a lot of confusion further down the line.

Thanks for reading and we’ll back with the next tip soon!