Bosses, take note: Workers say lack of engagement is a top reason they'd quit their jobs
- A lack of career growth is one of the biggest reasons workers leave their jobs, second only to low pay, according to a survey from Instructure and The Harris Poll.
- 77% of employees feel they're 'on their own' to develop their careers at the company.
- Employees moving around in today's tight labor maket could cause challenges for employers that don't give workers what they want.
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Employees want managers to help grow their careers - and if bosses don't step up, they leave.
A new survey found a third of employees who quit their jobs did so because they didn't learn new skills or better performance. A lack of career growth is one of the biggest reason workers leave, second only to low pay.
Public-opinion research company The Harris Poll administered the survey using responses from 1,433 full-time employees at 310 workplaces. Nearly all of the companies surveyed said they provide career-development tools.
Read more: 13 things that should never surprise a boss
Only one in four employees surveyed, however, felt the employeer helped them grow "very well." Around 77% of employees feel "on their own" to develop their careers at the company.
"Today's workforce has options, and people are clear about the fact that they want to work for companies that will invest in their careers," said Mitch Benson, a vice president at Instructure, an educational technology company that worked with The Harris Poll on the survey.
Younger employees are especially susceptible to moving around if they feel they aren't getting promoted fast enough, leading companies to make new titles just to appease their Gen Z workers.
Career experts also say staying at a company that's underutilizing your skills could hurt your career. Lynn Taylor, workplace expert and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," urges her clients to quit if they feel stuck in the same position.
Marc Cenedella, founder and CEO of career resource The Ladders, also told Business Insider's Rachel Gillett to quit if you haven't picked up a new skill, viewpoint, or way of doing things in six months.
Employees moving around in today's tight labor maket could cause challenges for employers that don't give workers what they want: companies can lose out on thousands of dollars hiring and training costs, plus lost productivity.