FAU researchers investigate why employees voluntarily change jobs
Erlangen-Nuremberg/Germany, March 26, 2025 – ‘People quit bosses, not jobs’ – this negative stereotype about managers is widespread in the world of work. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the University of Ulm have analysed this and come to a different conclusion in their three-part study: employees‘ reasons for quitting are sometimes complex and the manager is not always to blame.
International studies and exit interviews analysed
The research team led by industrial psychologist Dr Sabine Hommelhoff from the Institute of Psychology at FAU evaluated existing studies, conducted an anonymous online survey and analysed existing exit interviews with employees about their departure. In terms of the reasons for leaving, the researchers differentiated between the employees‘ perspectives of approach and avoidance: Do they want to approach something new and better by voluntarily changing jobs or would they rather avoid the negative aspects of their current job in the future?
Main reasons for resignation: Overwork and stress
The analysis of 78 international studies (44 per cent from North America and 18 per cent from Europe) showed that employees primarily cited overwork and the resulting stress as the reason for resigning. Others were looking for better working conditions or development opportunities. The poor leadership qualities of superiors were the third most frequently cited reason on average.
Reasons for dismissal are often concealed
In the second part of the study, the research team surveyed around 200 employees anonymously and online. Several main reasons for changing jobs emerged: from the desire for new activities and better career opportunities to problems with managers, but also problems with colleagues and high levels of stress. ‘Most employees don’t just give one reason, but usually three or four, sometimes a mixture of approach- and avoidance-orientated reasons. It was also interesting to note that employees admitted that they had not disclosed all their reasons for leaving to their former employer. On average, a quarter of the reasons were concealed,’ explains Sabine Hommelhoff.
Finally, the researchers analysed 312 anonymised interviews that employees had conducted with HR staff at a large company when they left.
When asked about the reasons for changing jobs, those affected stated that they found other jobs more attractive, that they saw better opportunities for advancement there and that they were better paid. Only in fourth place was the lack of quality of managers mentioned, with senior management being mentioned more frequently than immediate superiors.
Curbing high stress levels
For psychologist Hommelhoff, the findings from the study also have practical relevance, from which recommendations for action can be derived. ‘Employers should organise working conditions in such a way as to avoid stress caused by overwork. They should also ensure that employees can continue to develop. If you keep these two aspects in mind, you can get to the root of the two most important reasons for dismissal (from the 78 studies analysed).’
A more differentiated view of managers
It is important to question negative stereotypes about managers – ‘people quit bosses’ – and to take a more differentiated view. Problems with managers were an important reason for quitting, but less central than often assumed. And: departing employees tended to give more honest answers about their manager when asked anonymously. In direct interviews with HR departments, they were more likely to cite the approach-orientated reasons than the avoidance-orientated ones, i.e. they were less likely to complain about their manager.
According to Sabine Hommelhoff, exit interviews should rather be seen as part of a positive job exit culture ‘in order to have a friendly final discussion’. However, as only around 60 per cent of employees in the study accepted the offer of an interview and negative topics were avoided, the content should not be overinterpreted, says Hommelhoff. ‘It can be assumed that almost nothing negative came out of the exit interviews with management, so it went through several filters, so to speak.’
Original publication:
(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2025.104099)
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