Jinjib Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka) conducted a survey on "True and Public Reasons for Resignation" targeting ① managers and executives of SMEs without HR functions / ② men and women aged 20-35 with resignation experience within the past 5 years.

[Background of the Survey]

Amidst a severe labor shortage, retaining young talent in their 20s and 30s is a critical management challenge for companies. Especially for SMEs, continuously recruiting without improving fundamental company issues leads to wasted recruitment and training costs.

In many workplaces, "sudden resignation notices" come as a surprise, and cases where the true underlying issues leading to resignation are overlooked are endless.

Therefore, this time, we focus on the true and public reasons for resignation from the perspectives of SMEs and employees with resignation experience, and consider measures to prevent turnover based on the gap between the two.

Survey Outline: "True and Public Reasons for Resignation" Survey

【Survey Period】March 13 (Fri) – March 17 (Tue), 2026 【Survey Method】Internet survey by PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press) 【Number of Respondents】1,018 people (① 508 people / ② 510 people)

【Survey Targets】Monitors who responded as ① managers and executives of SMEs without HR functions (36 years old and above) / ② men and women aged 20-35 with resignation experience within the past 5 years.

※① Definition of "having HR functions": A "dedicated team" with knowledge of recruitment, talent development and training, and personnel evaluation systems, operating on a PDCA cycle.

※② Those who responded about their performance at the company they resigned from.

【Survey Source】Jinjib Co., Ltd. (https://jinjib.co.jp/) 【Monitor Provider】Sacrisa

Approximately 60% of SMEs without HR functions responded that they do not grasp the "true reasons for resignation"!

First, we asked managers and executives of SMEs without HR functions, aged 36 and above.

Q1. Currently, what challenges or obstacles do you feel in preventing young employees from resigning? (Multiple answers allowed)

When asked "what challenges or obstacles they feel in preventing young employees from resigning," the most common answer was "Not being able to grasp the true reasons for resignation or hidden dissatisfactions (46.5%)", followed by "Not being able to objectively visualize employee motivation (34.5%)" and "Not being able to notice signs of resignation (32.1%)".

The fact that "not being able to grasp reasons for resignation or dissatisfactions" was chosen most frequently suggests that management is not sufficiently aware of the background of employee turnover. Furthermore, the high ranking of "visualizing motivation" and "not noticing signs" may be influenced by issues related to a lack of daily communication.

So, to what extent do managers and executives understand the reality of resignation reasons?

Q2. To what extent do you think you understand the "true reasons for resignation (true feelings)" of young employees who have resigned?

When asked "to what extent they understand the 'true reasons for resignation (true feelings)' of young employees who have resigned," approximately 60% responded with "Not at all (15.9%)" or "Not very much (40.4%)".

It became clear that many in management do not sufficiently grasp the true feelings of resigning employees. This result suggests that the issue of "not being able to grasp the true reasons for resignation or hidden dissatisfactions" raised in the previous question is indeed occurring. It can be inferred that when employees resign, only superficial reasons are shared, and essential areas for improvement are overlooked.

So, what actions were taken regarding the "signs" before resignation?

Q3. What actions have you taken regarding the "signs" of young employees' resignation?

When asked "what actions they have taken regarding the 'signs' of young employees' resignation," over 90% responded with "Did not notice any signs and could not take preventive measures or improvements (37.4%)" or "Noticed signs (vaguely felt them) but could not take concrete measures or improvements (57.3%)".

Approximately 40% responded that they "could not notice any signs," suggesting a serious lack of communication between the front lines and management. Furthermore, about 60% responded that they "vaguely noticed signs but could not take action," indicating a situation where problems are recognized but not addressed.

Particularly in SMEs without HR functions, it is presumed that there are insufficient resources or systems to take concrete action.

So, what kind of measures do companies seek to improve this situation?

Q4. Currently, what do you want to strengthen or introduce in your company to "prevent turnover"? (Multiple answers allowed)

When asked "what they want to strengthen or introduce in their company to 'prevent turnover'," the most common answer was "Rules for 'evaluation and salary' that provide a sense of納得感 (fairness/satisfaction) (38.8%)", followed by "Skill improvement for 'interviews and 1-on-1s' to elicit true feelings (31.5%)" and "Enhancement of welfare benefits to support 'ease of working' (26.6%)".

The high ranking of "fair evaluation" and "interview skills" suggests that companies feel the need to build continuous trust, not just to retain employees. "Enhancement of welfare benefits" was also mentioned, indicating the necessity of creating an environment where employees can work with peace of mind for a long time.

Approximately 60% of young ace employees responded that they communicated their "true reasons for resignation"!

So, how did young ace employees, those whom management considers "employees they don't want to lose," communicate their true feelings to the company? From here, we asked men and women aged 20-35 with resignation experience within the past 5 years (those who responded about their performance at their previous company).

Q5. When you last resigned, was the "reason for resignation" you told the company (your boss or HR) your true feeling?

When asked "when you last resigned, was the 'reason for resignation' you told the company (your boss or HR) your true feeling?" approximately 60% responded with "Very much true (25.3%)" or "Somewhat true (38.6%)".

It became clear that approximately 60% of former ace employees communicated their true feelings when resigning. While there is an image that employees often state superficial reasons when resigning, it appears that they are actually expressing their intentions frankly, based on their working environment and challenges.

So, what kind of reasons did employees who "hid their true feelings" convey to the company instead?

Q6. What kind of "public reasons for resignation" did you convey to the company (your boss or HR)? (Multiple answers allowed)

When asked those who responded "it was not their true feeling" in the previous question, "what kind of 'public reasons for resignation' did you convey to the company (your boss or HR)?" the most common answer was "To challenge a new way of working (28.8%)", followed by "Because I had work I wanted to do (24.5%)" and "Due to family circumstances (22.8%)".

There was a tendency for reasons that are difficult for the company to retain, such as positive reasons or personal circumstances, to be chosen as reasons for resignation. These may be used as reasons to facilitate smooth resignation procedures.

So, what true feelings are hidden behind these public reasons?

Q7. What were the "reasons for resignation" you did not convey to the company (your boss or HR)? (Multiple answers allowed)

When asked those who responded "it was not their true feeling" regarding the reason for resignation conveyed to the company, "what were the 'reasons for resignation' you did not convey to the company (your boss or HR)?" the most common answer was "Because there was no willingness to improve old customs or inefficient work methods (26.6%)", followed by "Felt stress due to differences in 'work awareness' with colleagues (20.7%)", "There was a large discrepancy between the management philosophy and the reality on the ground (16.3%)", and "Compensation for results was low, and future evaluation could not be expected (16.3%)".

Among the true reasons for resignation, "no willingness to improve work methods" was the most common, revealing that the trigger for leaving is not solely about conditions like salary or holidays. "Differences in awareness with colleagues," "discrepancy between philosophy and reality," and "insufficient evaluation for results" also ranked high, suggesting that a misalignment between the workplace and organizational thinking is having an impact.

So, why did they convey public reasons for resignation without directly communicating these issues to the company?

Q8. For what reasons did you not convey your "true reasons for resignation" to the company (your boss or HR)? (Multiple answers allowed)

When asked those who responded "it was not their true feeling" regarding the reason for resignation conveyed to the company, "for what reasons did you not convey your 'true reasons for resignation' to the company (your boss or HR)?" the most common answer was "Feared being disadvantaged in resignation procedures or final evaluation (27.7%)", followed by "It would be troublesome to be persistently persuaded to stay (27.2%)", and "Did not have a relationship where I could consult with my boss or HR (26.6%)".

The high ranking of fear of disadvantages in resignation procedures and the trouble of being persuaded to stay suggests a reality where young ace employees have lost trust in the company. Furthermore, the answer "did not have a relationship where I could consult" also ranked high, indicating that daily trust relationships were not sufficiently built.

The period until communicating resignation was "less than 1 to 3 months"! What kind of company...

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: News