With the economy as bad as it is in the United States and despite a rising unemployment rate, there are still plenty of people who feel their boss is so bad they have to leave their current job.
According to the SearchCIO-Midmarket.com salary survey (noting like bit of brevity, eh fellas), fully 30% of CIOs and IT managers left their previous jobs because they were dissatisfied with their managers - a far higher proportion than left because of a merger or downsizing.
This goes against many industry experts who argued that the current downturn meant people would stay with their current job however poor their boss.
According to an executive recruiter interviewed for the article, "regardless of the economic period, people still demand job satisfaction." She also added that they are unwilling to settle for anything below their own standard for that satisfaction.
And why should they?
So, if you think that the downturn in the economy has given you license, as a manager, to be as mean or un-complimentary as possible to your employees, you might want to think again. Your behavior toward your people has a much bigger influence on their willingness to stay than whatever level the dollar may be at.
Take the time to keep your people happy, even when things are tough, and you may benefit more than you realize.
I absolutely concur.
If it had not been for the verbal abuse I encountered at my last 'real job' I would now not be self-employed. It was as a result of backstabbing, name-calling (my last boss had the nerve to call me an 'idiot!') and downright embarrassing insults that ultimately led me to believe I could appreciate myself more than any self-righteous employer with a chip on their shoulder. I may have walked away hurt and disappointed initially. But the traumatic experience forced me to realize that I AM capable, gifted and intelligent, and do not need to subject myself to being a verbal punching bag for someone who is, frankly speaking, paying me to do their thinking for them. Determined, I recovered from the verbal attacks and am now happy, independent and successful. I would encourage anyone in a similar situation to consider alternatives. In the words of Dr. Phil, we really do 'teach people how to treat us.'