People may give many reasons for leaving a job. Unrealistic expectations. Excessive workload. Lack of flexibility. Unfair pay. But perhaps the biggest reason for employee turnover may be that there was no manager trying to keep them there.

52% percent of exiting employees say that their manager or organisation could have done something to prevent them from leaving their job. But only about a third of former employees said they had a conversation with their manager about leaving before they quit.

Obviously, not every employee can be saved. But Gallup’s workplace analysis shows that much more can be done in most organisations to decrease your employee turnover rate. And it begins with the manager.

Great managers motivate employees to stay in many ways; here’s five of them:

1. Connected managers catch intent to leave long before it occurs.
When an employee quits, it can often be a shock to a team and their manager. But Gallup’s analysis has found that many times the decision was a long time coming.

43% percent of former employees say they spoke with a co-worker about their intention to leave before leaving. And 36% were actively searching for a new job for one or more months before leaving their last job.

So for some employees, there’s a window when a manager could have made a difference. And yet, more than half of exiting employees say that in the three months before they left, neither their manager nor any other leader spoke to them about their job satisfaction or future with the organisation.

Many employees rarely receive any feedback from their managers. Nearly half of employees say they get feedback from their manager a few times a year or less.

So perhaps the biggest change managers can make is to increase the frequency of conversations with employees. This makes it more likely that managers will be able to identify concerns, roadblocks and signs of disengagement long before the employee’s last day.

2. Empathetic managers listen to problems, receive employee feedback and help prioritise the workload.
Managers may often feel powerless in the face of employee problems. Simply listening may not feel like anything particularly special or helpful.

But employees whose manager is always willing to listen to their work-related problems are 62% less likely to be burned out. In other words, listening matters to employee retention. It also helps employees feel like their voice and opinion matter.

Similarly, managers may not always be able to reduce the amount of work to be done, but they can help sort and organise work for employees. In the absence of communication, employees may feel anxiety about details that don’t matter. Or they may feel overwhelmed by the total amount of work to be done.

3. Empowered managers find creative solutions, personalise flexibility and advocate for their people.
Managers are uniquely positioned to resolve employees’ concerns, but only when they have freedom and decision-making authority.

When managers have a good rapport with their employees, they can come up with novel solutions to employees’ needs. Sometimes a minor change to a work schedule can make all the difference between a bad day and a good one.

There’s nothing worse than being the proverbial “middle manager” who is only there to communicate (and enforce) corporate policy. Managers need some reasonable freedom to tailor roles, schedules, and policies to fit individuals.

The result is not just team members who want to stay – but managers, too, when they feel supported by their leaders.

4. Inspiring managers offer regular employee recognition, encouragement and mission moments.
Gallup has consistently found that feeling cared for and having friends at work are essential drivers of engagement. When employees feel engaged, they are eager to come to work, ready to give their best, and feel connected to their team and organisation. Unsurprisingly, engaged workers are much less likely to quit.

When managers increase the frequency of their conversations, there’s a greater chance that employees will feel that someone cares about them. But managers can go further, asking questions and listening to answers with genuine interest and concern.

Managers also help connect the everyday work of a team to the mission of an organisation. People leave jobs when they don’t feel like their work matters.

5. Coaching managers help struggling employees find their future within your organisation.
The No. 1 reason for leaving an employer is a lack of career opportunities. There may be many underlying reasons for the decision, but ultimately employees who leave no longer see a future at your organisation. Like so many things in life, we often lose the will to continue when there is no reasonable path to success.

In hard times, the future can feel murky. Development often goes to the wayside. And many employees may be thinking, “Is it just this – forever?”

In the absence of a manager, there is no reason for employees to think things are going to change. They also may be siloed in their work, unaware of alternative career paths, helpful corporate programmes or potential mentors.

In contrast, a manager can play the role of coach, co-crafting a path forward that is appropriate and inspiring. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, they can remind people of their strengths. Instead of focusing on the immediate crisis, they can pull back and show how this experience is building capacity for future growth.

Managers Are Your Front Line Against High Employee Turnover – And Employee Turnover Costs
“The role of the manager is critical to enhancing the organisation’s culture and to the day to day employee and team experience. But all too often managers are not supported with the skills, development and tools they need to be as effective people managers as possible. Gallup sees that when the organisations are intentionally committed to ongoing development of their managers, not only do they uplift the capability of the manager, but it boosts engagement, performance and development of the team. What is the one skill that is most critical to build in managers? Coaching skills”

Claire DeCarteret, Managing Director EMEA, Gallup
The cost of employee turnover is about more than an empty seat. Some employees lose their best friend, making them more likely to leave. Customers may have lost the personal relationship that kept them coming back to you. Your organization may have also lost institutional knowledge and experience that your leaders relied on for consistency and repeat performance.

Based on Gallup’s workplace analysis, retaining employees through policies and pay is only a partial fix to the problem of high turnover. Managers who are interacting with their employees on a regular basis, and who provide support and guidance, should be at the centre of your retention strategy.

About Gallup
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.