The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late

by Leigh Branham

People are four times more likely to leave a job because of something going on in the office than for an outside opportunity. Yet most managers blame employee turnover on the lure of other companies. . . even when the real factors are well within their control. Based on research performed by the prestigious Saratoga Institute, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave provides readers with real solutions for the costly problem of employee turnover. Now incorporating the results of the author’s “Decision to Leave” post-exit survey, the second edition features new research in employee engagement as well as innovative best practices for engaging and retaining in a down economy. Readers will learn how to align employee expectations with the realities of the position, avoid job–person mismatches, and provide feedback and coaching that breed employee confidence. The book examines factors such as manager relationships, lack of trust in senior leadership, company culture and integrity, salary and benefits, and more—revealing what can be done to hold on to the people who provide the most value to the organization.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Management, Human Resources

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2005

About the author

LEIGH BRANHAM is founder/principal of the consulting firm Keeping the People, Inc., and widely recognized as an authority on employee engagement. He is the author of The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave and Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business.

Reviews

[Toni Tassani · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 7 reasons the author suggests are:
1. Job or workplace not as expected
2. Mismatch between job and person
3. Little coaching and feedback
4. Few growth opportunities
5. Feeling unrecognized
6. Stress from work-life imbalance
7. Loss of trust in senior leaders
The book is full of quotes from employees unsatisfied with their jobs and bullet lists of items employees or employers can do, and some references to books and research.
Contains a few good ideas and practices used in different companies and it's very well structured.
And it's the structure and the repetition (again bullet points!) that has made it a difficult read to me.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as research for training we developed to help call centers with Attrition/Retention.

Excellent book to improve retention of great employees. Book has tips not just how to act to prevent people from leaving but what you should consider when you are recruiting and hiring that impacts job satisfaction. I like the construction - what research of exit interviews revealed, 54 tips, what organizations, managers and employees should do.

[Don Putnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great review of why employees leave. Having witnessed the Great Resignation of 2020-2021 (and beyond?), this book is quite accurate with the internal reasons employees are telling our managers why they are leaving.

The biggest one is indeed Trust. When all the chips were down in 2020, corporations and businesses showed their true colors and a lot of employees were shocked at the poor behavior. I can only hope the ones who remain can capture lessons learned in order to avoid the COSTLY hit again.

To be sure, many businesses saw 2020 as an existential threat and took drastic actions. But perhaps they only delayed the inevitable. Sure they survived 2020, but will they survive 2021 and beyond? If no one is around to do the actual work, will the business survive?

I know of a few corporations which are frantically trying to re-hire or offshore the work; just to keep operations humming along. Some are only 1 or 2 resignations away from losing multi-million dollar investments because no one is around to make those technical decisions. Meanwhile, other corporations are gobbling up talent and they comprehend the urgency to retain staff and keep employees happy.

If you are a HR manager or if you manage people, read this book before it's too late to retain your own talented people!

[Queen Abeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a detailed summary of this book, and even from that, it offered a lot of value. It digs deeper than the usual surface-level reasons people give when they leave a job. It breaks down the emotional and psychological triggers that push employees to quit, and honestly most of them are preventable.

I found it especially relevant as someone working in HR. The key insights about unmet expectations, lack of recognition, poor leadership, and cultural mismatch really hit home. It’s not just about exit interviews, it’s about knowing what to look for before people even start thinking of leaving.

Some points felt slightly repetitive, but overall, it’s a valuable read (even just the summary) for anyone managing people or building company culture.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of challenges of recruitment and retention

I've read lots of books over the past 18 months looking for ideas to improve employee retention for a large physician group. This book seems to hit all the points in an organized logical way. I'm recommending this book to members of our Retention Committee.

[Goh Kheng Hua · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book of practical strategems .

Goes straight to the heart of issues and offer excellent insight. The practical model and guide lines given is timeless principles for treating employees equitably . All aspiring manager or HR must read! A book of great practical values, the sun tzu of the corporate world.

[Tobi Nifesi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very insightful read that several CEOs, hiring managers, and team leads will benefit from. It's filled with practical tips and stories of how to retain talents, regardless of the company size. I highly recommend it for any organization that's struggling with poor employee engagement and retention rates.

[Marilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read!

[Carlie Blazek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful. Showed how as managers WE can be in control of culture. Loved.

[Leader Summaries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde Leader Summaries recomendamos la lectura del libro 7 razones ocultas por las que los empleados se van, de Leigh Branham.
Las personas interesadas en las siguientes temáticas lo encontrarán práctico y útil: recursos humanos, atraer, motivar y retener a los empleados, mejorar el clima laboral.
En el siguiente enlace tienes el resumen del libro 7 razones ocultas por las que los empleados se van, Cómo detectar las señales de deserción de los empleados para actuar antes de que sea demasiado tarde: 7 razones ocultas por las que los empleados se van

[Gil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely changed my perspective on dealing with people who report to me, and how I will deal with my bosses. I have re-read most of this one twice now, simply because I go back to it to see what she has to say about some situation I see at work, and end up running through two or three chapters on either side just "for fun". Excellent bit of business, recommend for anyone who has people reporting to them.

[Lori Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A should-read book on human resources for knowledge workers and entrepreneurs.

[Adam Meents · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure the reasons are actually "hidden" so much anymore. However, they are still valid and often lost on contemporary mgmt everywhere.

[Dan Kenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you coach people or in charge of a team READ the book.

[Jitka Egressy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Inspire me a lot!