50 Why Good Employees Leave Quotes For Maintaining Quality Staff

By Clifton Sankofa

School Leader, Language Arts Expert & Master Quote Curator

Published November 6, 2023

Our why do good employees leave quotes will benefit managers, team leaders, or anyone curious about why talented employees seek employment elsewhere.

Have you ever wondered what is the difference between arrogance and confidence?

Check out these why good employees leave quotes and discover how the difference between the two can impact how long a good employee stays at a job.

Why do good employees leave?

The old adage says that good employees leave because of poor management.

Well, the adage is correct.

Some of the other common reasons good employees leave are:

Lack of interest.
A personal matter.
Repositioning or responsibility change.

Why good employees leave: views from an educator

As a classroom teacher, students and coworkers feel comfortable with me.

When I transitioned to become a school leader, it was vital for me to maintain those close connections.

All professional experiences vary, but some archetypal common themes are universal.

I know that good students leave schools if teachers do not support them.

I also know that good students leave jobs if their higher-ups fail to support them.

In both instances, the individuals leave because of a lack of support.

It is human nature to seek elsewhere when we do not feel we are getting what we need.

It seems safe to say that good employees leave their jobs because of poor management.

Which is worse: poor management or burnout?

I have been on both sides of the fence:

The noble educator who sacrifices everything for their students and the humble school leader who sacrifices everything for the staff and students.

I know what it’s like to be on the front line with the students in a classroom.

I also know what it’s like in the trenches of the office, making big decisions that will impact everyone.

In both cases, effective educators in the classroom or the administrative office end up sacrificing and burning out.

How can I keep good employees?

How we say things matters just as much as what we say.

Remembering our tone, applying the golden rule, seeing people’s humanity, and giving the grace you want are all excellent ways to help people feel appreciated.

To learn more, check out our why good employees leave quotes.

Short why good employees leave quotes for managers

Let’s start with these short yet interesting perspectives on why employees leave.

1. “Poor company culture is another top reason why good employees leave.” — Eric Goldschein

2. “Good employees may leave a company if not given enough independence.” — Amber Krosel

3. “Ultimately boredom makes them to quit from their job for some fresh assignments.” — Krisha Reddy

4. “Good employees may also leave a company if there are challenges with their work-life balance.” — Amber Krosel

5. “Many people like to say, people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers, and it is true.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

6. “Unfortunately, most talented employees leave due to reasons that businesses could have easily prevented.” — Vibecatch

7. “In one study, 89% of managers surveyed said they thought most employees leave for better pay.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

8. “Sometimes, multiple employees quit at the same time.” — Jason Evanish

9. “Don’t let an asshole by why good employees quit your team.” — Jason Evanish

10. “Overburdened workers could also make their mind up to quit a job.” — Krisha Reddy

The best why good employees leave quotes for effective leadership

This selection includes some leadership perspectives on why employees leave.

11. “Managers tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun, while ignoring the crux of the matter: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.” — Forbes

12. “Whether [employees] feel like they’re not respected by their boss or by their coworkers, these negative feelings can build up, eventually causing them to decide to leave.” — Eric Goldschein

13. “More than half of [employees] who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss.” — Forbes

14. “Similarly, feeling underappreciated is another factor as to why employees ultimately leave a job.” — Eric Goldschein

15. “According to data drawn from 30 case studies taken from 11 research papers on the costs of employee turnover, it costs at least 20% of their salary when an employee leaves.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

16. “More than likely, your employees will be more productive, enthusiastic, and engaged when they know that their company trusts them and encourages them to have a life when they leave the office.” — Eric Goldschein

17. “In the end, what’s more costly: increasing employees’ salaries or having them leave just to hire new people and train them all over again?” — Vibecatch

18. “Others also leave because they are not provided with benefits such as health insurance, flexible hours, vacation leave, and bonuses.” — Vibecatch

19. “When good employees leave, it costs your company in many ways.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

20. “[Employees] tend to leave if their time outside of work is not respected.” — Vibecatch

The top why good employees leave quotes

It impacts the entire job when one employee leaves.

21. “There are lot of reasons which gets involved that is why people quit, such as: employee mismatch, work/life balance, co-worker conflicts, repositioning.” — Krisha Reddy

22. “To this effect, if employees feel their company is using outdated practices or technology, they may leave if it’s too challenging for them to complete their work.” — Amber Krosel

23. “There are a lot of reasons why great employees quit and leave your company.” — Jason Evanish

24. “How do you keep a good employee from quitting to avoid each problem in the first place?” — Jason Evanish

25. “One of the biggest reasons for people quitting their jobs was feeling overwhelmed by work.” — Jason Evanish

26. “When an employee sees no vision, then their thinking of mind drives them to quit from the job.” — Krisha Reddy

27. “Good employees may also leave a company because they’re frustrated from being overworked.” — Amber Krosel

28. “Although it may seem like a weighty cost to increase an employee’s salary, it might actually cost you more if that employee leaves and you have to find and hire someone else.” — Eric Goldschein

29. “Good employees may leave the company to find work opportunities that are more intellectually stimulating.” — Amber Krosel

29. “When there is some boredom popping up at the workplace, employees eventually feel like quitting and start finding some new job for themselves.” — Krisha Reddy

30. “If their current job does not allow them to advance to a higher-level position, employees may leave and find another opportunity elsewhere.” — Amber Krosel

When employees stop caring quotes and sayings

Most employees make a calculated decision prior to leaving a job.

31. “Some people may choose to leave a company for numerous reasons.” — Amber Krosel

32. “Losing employees is expensive and can often be prevented.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

33. “Managers tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun, while ignoring the crux of the matter: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.” — Priorityonepayroll

34. “A common reason good employees leave is due to inefficient or unskilled management” — Amber Krosel

35. “From damage to morale if she was well-liked in the office, or lost skills, to clients and institutional knowledge, there are many risks to your company when an employee leaves.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

36. “When you work your tail off only to get passed over for a promotion that’s given to someone who glad-handed their way to the top, it’s a massive insult. No wonder it makes good people leave.” — Priorityonepayroll

37. “However, sometimes good employees find themselves unhappy in their position and may decide to leave the company altogether.” — Amber Krosel

38. “Unfortunately, this is a broad reason, and there can be many facets within a poor team environment that causes an employee to leave.” — Eric Goldschein

39. “It’s important you learn about learned helplessness and its impact on employees. Otherwise, that’s a huge reason why good employees quit.” — Jason Evanish

40. “Not listening is one of the reasons why great employees quit.” — Jason Evanish

Famous good employees don’t complain they leave quotes

We close our list with these quotes about how confident employees make decisions.

41. “A dramatic enough change that blindsides an employee can be the catalyst for why good employees quit, so don’t let big changes happen without talking about it.” — Jason Evanish

42. “A leader who is consistent in their words and actions, and makes a good faith effort to take care of their team doesn’t have to worry about why great employees quit.” — Jason Evanish

43. “When an employee feels that his/her position is getting stagnated in the same company and chances of growth are few, then time has come to quit from the job.” — Krisha Reddy

44. “While money may not be at the heart of an employee’s decision to leave, it will cost your company money, resources, and skills when top performers leave.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

45. “More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss.” — Priorityonepayroll

46. “When there is a need call from the family, every employee who is emotional and responsible towards his family can get ready to quit the job immediately without any second thought.” — Krisha Reddy

47. “You can lose a lot more than just productivity. You end up sitting there wondering, why did my best employee quit?” — Jason Evanish

48. “Clearly, there is often a disconnect between managers and employees about what motivates an employee to leave.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies

49. “When hard workers do not take a vacation, unite the team, but still get no promotion even after a year, this makes them want to quit after some time.” — Krisha Reddy

50. “Understanding the costs of employee departure to your company and the real reasons employees leave will help you prevent it.” — Wasp Barcode Technologies