Why do people quit their jobs?

Workers have the advantage right now. Unemployment has hovered around record lows, and there are more openings than workers available to fill them. That makes it an excellent environment to quit your job -- and a new study from Payscale, Why They Quit You, shows what motivates people to do that.

The study, however, shows that the reasons people give for looking for a new job are different from the ones people give for why they accept a new position. Money, of course, factors in, but it's not the only thing that motivates employees.

"The search for more pay is a very strong driver for employees who are considering leaving, but the most interesting part of our research shows that once employees decide to leave, they also want a more fulfilling job," said PayScale's Chief Economist Katie Bardaro in a press release. "So, for employers looking to retain and attract the best talent, they not only need to get pay right but must also demonstrate to employees how they will provide them with work that is ultimately meaningful."

What do employees want?

A chance to get paid more is the top reason why people seek a job outside of their current organization. But it's not an overwhelming winner, as you can see on the chart below, and it's also not the top reason why someone ultimately makes the decision to leave.

Date source: Payscale.

Getting a raise is actually the third-most-cited reason for workers taking another job, with 16% of respondents naming that as the top reason. The "opportunity to do more meaningful work" was the top reason people gave for accepting a new position (27%), followed by "increased responsibility" (17%).

Of course, you have to consider that it sounds a lot better to say you're leaving because the work is more meaningful or the job is more important compared to quitting for more money. That means you have to take these results with at least a grain of salt, since money likely plays a bigger part than people are willing to admit.

What can a company do?

To retain workers in a very competitive job market, companies need to talk to their employees. It's important to know if people are happy and why they may not be. It's possible to pay people more, increase their responsibility, or offer more meaningful work.

It's also important to know when someone is unhappy and planning to leave. That allows a company to plan for changes to its workforce and make proactive decisions.

As an employee, leaving is tempting -- but if you generally like where you are, it's not a bad idea to bring up your concerns. Your company may respond in a way that addresses your unhappiness, or the response you get may help validate your decision to leave.

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