Hiring Great Employees That Don’t Stay? This Is Why

Open Letter to Managers Posted On LinkedIn Is 1,000% Accurate

I'm a manager.  Part of my job as a manager is to find great talent and hire great talent.  There's no shortage of talent out there, but still, for some reason, the pool seems to get smaller and smaller.

As for me, I love what I do.  Every day is different.  But I'd be lying if I said I haven't struggled with the subject of purpose; asking myself the question, 'Does what I do matter?'

After reading this Open Letter to Management authored by Lisa Earle McLeod and her millennial daughter, Elizabeth, I now understand that it's not just me.  It's my entire generation.  Money is nice.  Perks are nice.  But we NEED purpose.  Or -- simply put -- you're not going to keep us.

I'm not gonna lie, I LOVE being a part of a generation that truly cares more about making a difference -- really having a purpose, really doing something that matters in a real, big way, even more than money and perks.

However, for managers like myself, this presents a real and potentially lasting issue.  We really have to evaluate what we have to offer potential employees.  No, I'm not talking about money and perks, I'm talking about meaningful work.  Then we have to be realistic in our expectations of these great employees who want to do a impeccable job and are willing to work tirelessly... until they're not.

Uh, if you haven't already started reading the letter, just go ahead and get to that now.