Employees keep quitting so often... Why is that?
Haebom
Recently, I had a chance to meet with the team leader of a company preparing for a fairly large IPO. Over a meal, the conversation turned to how employees have been quitting after only a short stint at work. The team leader believed the reason for this was, “With the IPO coming up, there was sales pressure, and as a result, a heavier workload caused resignations.” Hearing the situation, it seemed the cause might have been misunderstood, so I asked to meet separately with two members of the team for a meal.
That team was, in essence, handling the duties of Project Managers. They were grouped as managers or planners, but were actually involved broadly in planning, development, and operations, taking on a wide range of tasks.
Absolutely necessary boundary-crossers, yet lacking in support
In company work, collaboration across departments and teams is essential. There used to be so-called 'silo' structures, where people dug deep into specialized areas and some services intentionally operated separately behind walls. But since you can't do everything within a silo, breaking down those walls and bridging the gap between disconnected departments through the work of boundary crossers is becoming ever more crucial.
However, recent research shows that employees involved in this type of collaboration can easily become worn out from cognitive overload and emotional tension. This burnout can lead to negative attitudes and behaviors, not only affecting the individual boundary-crosser but also the entire organization.
The Hidden Cost: Cognitive Overload and Emotional Tension
In truth, these ‘jack-of-all-trades’ people end up taking on all kinds of tasks. They’re constantly communicating with marketing, development, and design experts, working hard from all angles to finish projects. The biggest issue in these organizations is that this work is dismissed as mere “grunt work” or something just expected, so it doesn’t get any recognition.
Collaborating across different departments is actually much more demanding than expected. It taps into all sorts of cognitive resources—work styles, communication, technical skills, context, and more. If this continues for a long time, the people involved begin to feel drained. Those two team members I mentioned earlier both had a strong desire to grow and both wanted to leave—and, surprisingly, it was because they didn’t feel any personal growth. You could inject a bit of vision and make them push on for a while with inspiring words, but since they already feel let down by the company, sustainability is now very low.
This can even escalate into sabotage, which in turn may show up as inappropriate workplace behavior. It’s a serious threat for anyone who works by bridging boundaries between roles.
Solution: Organizational Support for Connection and Recovery
Organizations can employ the following strategies to help staff collaborate effectively between departments without burning out:
1.
Making cross-departmental collaboration roles official, and setting clear expectations
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Include cross-team collaboration in official job descriptions and make expectations for the role crystal clear.
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For example, specifying in a front-end developer’s job description that collaboration with marketing and backend teams is expected.
2.
Supporting development of needed competencies and recognizing achievements 🌟🌟🌟
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Provide support for training and skills essential for collaboration (like communication, negotiation, and cultural understanding).
•
Set up systems to recognize and reward outstanding cross-departmental collaboration.
E.g., an “Outstanding Cross-Team Collaborator” award or incentive program
E.g., an “Outstanding Cross-Team Collaborator” award or incentive program
3.
Build diverse communication channels and ensure proper downtime
•
Operate various communication channels to detect early signs of employee burnout.
◦
One-on-one meetings, monitoring changes in work attitude, regular surveys, etc.
•
Create an environment and culture that allow employees to truly disconnect after hours.
For example: Minimize the need for immediate responses outside of work hours.
For example: Minimize the need for immediate responses outside of work hours.
When people who perform a specific role quit every one to three years, or even less, it's usually for this reason. The solution is obvious, but it's also something that middle managers or even the CEO of a company must address directly. These people, whom I've described as boundary transcendents, work incredibly hard. However, they say they have nothing left despite their hard work. Why? "I don't feel like I'm growing," "I'm treated as expendable," "No one recognizes my hard work. I don't get recognized." More than half of the 25 clients I met during my recent coaching sessions expressed similar sentiments. I've had similar experiences with junior staff. These days, I'm providing organizational culture and organizational diagnosis as a hobby, though not as a consulting firm. I find discovering and resolving these issues incredibly meaningful. (Sometimes, I can't even bring it up with the internal culture/HR team. ~_~)
Anyhow, the half-joking, half-serious remark that 'PMs are just handymen~' is actually a self-mocking phrase that’s spread because PMs so often end up doing work beyond their job scope. Let's respect each other’s work, and openly thank those who keep us all connected. It might not just be the PM—there’s always someone like that in our company, team, or anywhere we belong.
Trains have a part called a coupler. Rather than fastening tightly, it leaves a little gap so that two heavy train cars can be joined. Thanks to that space, the train can still run, even if something happens on the track, or if there’s deceleration, acceleration, or even some impact. In many ways, this is what a Project Manager does. Staying connected but maintaining just enough space, so every team can do its best. And just like a hidden coupler under the train—hard for passengers to spot but vital to movement—without these connectors, nothing moves forward.
If you have 'couplers' like this among your colleagues, make sure to thank them and ask what challenges they face. That way, you’ll surely work together for a long time. Sorry for rambling on—I got a bit carried away.
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I post articles related to IT 💻, economy 💰, and humanities 🎭.
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haebom@kakao.com
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I post articles related to IT 💻, economy 💰, and humanities 🎭.
If you are curious about my thoughts, perspectives or interests, please subscribe.
haebom@kakao.com
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이서현
좋은 글 감사합니다.관리자의 입장도 그렇지만 개발자들도 저런 커플러 역할을 함께 고민해준다면 정말 좋은 조직이겠죠 ㅎㅎ
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