Almost two thirds of workers cite disconnection from management as reason for leaving
A new survey has backed the saying people leave bosses, not companies.
A report from recruitment firm Robert Walters found 63% of employees said they left their previous employer because of not having a "connection" with their management or leadership team and a further 68% said they left because of "empty promises" from management.
"Human-centric leaders are inclusive, empathetic, and driven by a purpose beyond profit, and offer their employees flexibility and an environment of psychological safety where their health and wellbeing are respected so they can perform at their best," the report said.
Human-centric leadership refers to an approach where leaders show their authentic selves at work and recognise the "multi-faceted human complexity" of the people in their organisation, according to the report.
According to employees, some of the common traits of poor or inauthentic leadership are:
Gerrit Bouckaert, CEO of Robert Walters, said leadership success is easier to achieve when people are put first.
"We will always need people in the workplace. And much like you would invest in your technology with R&D and improvements, the same goes for your people," Bouckaert said in a statement.
According to Robert Walters, organisations that have a human-centric organisational focus are 1.5x more likely to retain high performers. They are also 2.6 times more likely to meet objectives as a "people-first" organisation.
"Business leaders that foster psychological safety, flexibility, and continuous learning will build stronger, more engaged teams – and ultimately, a more successful business," Bouckaert said.
"Leaders who fail to engage personally with their teams not only risk losing loyalty, but also some valuable insight on the company and ideas for improvement or future growth."
In order to be more human-centric, Robert Walters outlined the following strategies that leaders can adopt:
