6 Good Reasons Your Employees Will Leave Their Jobs in 2025

EXPERT OPINION BY MARCEL SCHWANTES, INC. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, EXECUTIVE COACH, SPEAKER, AND AUTHOR @MARCELSCHWANTES

As a leadership coach, I spend considerable time reviewing exit interview reports, feedback instruments, and employee engagement surveys to determine the causes of employees leaving their jobs at client companies. If you’re an executive or HR leader concerned with a revolving door at your company, start by looking at your managers.

I’ve pinpointed six reasons employees may leave their jobs next year. And all these reasons can be avoided by having strong people managers in charge. Let’s take a look.

Their work is boring

Some jobs, like factory work, can get really dull or repetitive. This can make it tough to roll out of bed in the morning and might push you to look for something more exciting. Plus, with robots taking over a lot of these jobs and doing them faster, it’s easy to start worrying about job security. It may be the reason your employees will move on.

They’re burning out

Since Covid hit, one of the top reasons employees decide to leave their jobs is burnout. The first step to solving burnout in your organization is recognizing it’s happening in the first place. Signs of burnout include cynicism, stress, physical and emotional exhaustion, and apathy—and it usually happens to once highly engaged employees.

They’re not learning

Employees don’t need a long list of reasons to quit their jobs; sometimes, just feeling stuck is enough. If they’ve done all there is to do and mastered their current role but are no longer feeling challenged, or like they’re growing and learning new things, it’s time to find something new that pushes them again. Think of how you can use their skills in a different area or function in the company.

Their workplace is toxic

Another reason people quit their jobs is because of a toxic work environment. A lousy workplace can really mess with your mental health and leave you feeling stressed and unhappy. If a company has a high turnover rate, a super competitive vibe, low morale, shady behavior, and rude communication, employees will definitely start looking for a new gig in a more positive place.

They seek more flexibility

Companies mandating that their workforce go back to the office face a tough dilemma. The ability to work remotely and other forms of flexibility like a non-traditional work schedule are still preferred by most employees post-Covid. Flexible work arrangements can help employees achieve a better work-life balance and combat the effects of burnout. While in-office work can boost collaboration, innovation, and camaraderie, forcing employees to come into the office five days a week isn’t going to make you a competitive employer. Employees experienced firsthand that remote work can be successful. Most aren’t willing to give it up completely.

They don’t get along with their boss

We’ve come full circle. In fact, this may be the top reason employees will quit their jobs in 2025. If employees are not seeing eye to eye with their boss, feel like their voices don’t matter, that their input gets shot down repeatedly, or worse, like they’re underpaid, they might be thinking about leaving. A bad boss can seriously hold back people’s careers, in terms of growth, promotions, and pay. People want a boss who values them and who’s got their back.

Photo Credit: Getty Images.