Work psychology: It’s not always because of the boss

FAU researchers are investigating why people change jobs voluntarily

“People quit bosses, not jobs” is a negative stereotype about managers that is widely held in the world of work. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Ulm University have been investigating whether there’s any truth behind the stereotype and have come to a different conclusion during their three-part study. Employees quit their jobs for a complex variety of reasons and it’s not always the boss’ fault.

Evaluation of international studies and exit interviews

A team of researchers led by occupational psychologist Dr. Sabine Hommelhoff at the Institute of Psychology at FAU has evaluated existing studies, conducted an anonymous online survey and analyzed existing exit interviews with employees about their resignations. When looking at the reasons for leaving a job, the researchers differentiated between approach and avoidance-oriented reasons: By switching jobs, are employees hoping to advance to new and better positions or is it more of a case of avoiding the negative aspects of their current job in future?

Main reasons for resigning: Work overload and stress

The evaluation of 78 international studies (44 percent of which from the US, the other 18 percent from Europe) showed that above all, employees mentioned work overload and the stress it causes as a reason for resigning from a position. Other respondents hoped to improve their working conditions or opportunities for further development. The third most often reason given on average was the poor management skills of their bosses.

Reasons for leaving are often withheld

The researcher then evaluated 312 anyonymized interviews held between employees who had resigned and members of the HR department of a large organization. When asked for the reasons why they were switching jobs, the employees mentioned that they thought other jobs were more attractive, and that they had better chances of promotion and of higher pay. The poor management skills of bosses was only listed as the fourth reason, whereby management at higher levels in the company hierarchy were mentioned rather than employees’ direct line managers.

Limiting high stress levels

The findings from the study also have a practical relevance to psychologist Hommelhoff, since they can be used to draw up recommendations for action. “Wherever possible, employers should design working conditions in such a way that stress through work overload is prevented. In addition, they should ensure that employees can continue to develop. If these two aspects are borne in mind, you can get to the root cause of two of the most important reasons for leaving a job (from the 78 analyzed studies).”

More differentiated view of managers

Negative stereotypes about bosses – “people quit bosses” – must be questioned and examined in a more differentiated way. Problems with bosses were cited as an important reason for resigning, but were less important than often assumed. And employees leaving a company tended to give more honest answers about their managers when they took part in anonymous interviews. In face-to-face interviews with HR departments, they were more likely to cite approach-oriented reasons than avoidance-oriented reasons and were less likely to complain about their manager.

According to Sabine Hommelhoff, exit interviews should be regarded as part of a positive job exit culture “to provide an opportunity for a friendly final meeting”. However, since only around 60 percent of the employees in the study accepted an invitation for such a meeting and negative topics were avoided, it is important not to over-interpret the contents, says Hommelhoff. “We can assume that no negative comments from exit interviews reach management, because they have passed through several filters, so to speak.”

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2025.104099

Further information:

PD Dr. Sabine Hommelhoff
sabine.hommelhoff@fau.de