Why millions of employees quit their jobs every year. A Harvard expert explains

EMPLOYEE turnover remains a constant challenge for businesses. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.2 million workers quit their jobs in March alone, while the median tenure at a job stands at just 3.9 years. But contrary to popular belief, employees rarely leave solely because of salary, according to a Harvard Business School expert.

Ethan Bernstein, who co-authored the book Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career, says most employees engage in "passive job searching" long before they resign.

"People quit jobs all the time. And, in fact, they think about leaving... all the time," Bernstein said.

He argues that managers often make a mistake by assuming employees are not considering other opportunities. Recognising early signs of dissatisfaction can help employers intervene before workers decide to leave.

The 'Domino Effect' behind job changes

Bernstein compares job switching to the process of making a major purchase.

Employees typically move through three stages:

-Passive looking

-Active looking

-Decision-making

A triggering event—such as frustration at work, lack of growth opportunities, or discovering an attractive alternative—can push employees from one stage to the next.

By the time an employee formally announces their resignation, the decision has often been months in the making.

Money is rarely the real reason

While compensation is often cited as the reason for leaving, Bernstein's research suggests salary is usually a symptom rather than the root cause.

His team's study identified:

-14 factors that push people away from jobs

-16 factors that pull them toward new opportunities

Many of these factors relate to:

-Career growth

-Recognition

-Respect

-Meaningful work

-Better opportunities

"Every time compensation came up... there were deeper reasons. It was never about the compensation per se," Bernstein said.

Why counteroffers often fail

Many employers attempt to retain workers by offering raises after they announce plans to leave.

According to Bernstein, this strategy often produces only temporary results because it does not address underlying concerns.

"Compensation can keep people around for a little while, but it's short-lived. It fixes a symptom, not the cause," he explained.

Instead, companies should focus on understanding employees' long-term career goals and helping them make progress internally.

Why traditional career check-ins don't work

Bernstein is also critical of the common manager question: "What do you want to do next?"

He argues that employees often struggle to answer because they assume there is a "correct" response.

As a result, career discussions can become vague and unproductive.

Rather than asking broad questions, managers should focus on specific factors that may be influencing an employee's satisfaction and career aspirations.

The pandemic made workplace expectations more visible

Bernstein's research, based on more than 1,000 interviews conducted between 2009 and 2024, found remarkable consistency in why people change jobs.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the so-called Great Resignation brought many workplace concerns into sharper focus.

Remote work, flexibility, work-life balance and personal preferences became more important than ever.

"The pandemic world suddenly made preferences for how to work far more salient," Bernstein said.
Why younger workers change jobs more often

Younger employees tend to have shorter job tenures than older generations, but Bernstein believes this is not due to impatience.

Instead, younger workers operate in an environment of rapid technological and economic change.

They often feel pressure to continuously build skills and remain relevant in a fast-changing job market.

"There is a widely held perception that they need to make progress frequently," Bernstein said.

Research suggests younger employees are willing to accept smaller career advancements more often, rather than waiting several years for a major promotion.

Exit interviews may not reveal the truth

Many companies rely on exit interviews to understand turnover, but Bernstein believes they rarely uncover the real reasons employees leave.

Workers often provide answers they consider safe and professional, such as:

-Better pay

-Family reasons

-Improved work-life balance

These explanations may help avoid burning bridges but often fail to capture deeper frustrations or unmet career needs.