If my reason for resigning is that too many other people have resigned in a short time period, should I explain further?

Question

I believe in every interview, there is always a question of:

Why do you want to resign from your current company?

I would like to answer:

It's because of too many people have resigned within the first semester.

If the employer is going to ask further, should I not explain further?

The reason I want to leave too is because I have seen too many cases the bosses cannot drive the company very well and how they deal with the clients and past employees.

Answer 1

If you told me that, it would raise serious red flags about you as an interviewee.

The reason it raises red flags is that it effectively communicates, "I quit when it started to get hard." Or some variant of that. Not positive feelings, that's for sure.

It might be true or it might not be, but either way, you don't want to leave an interviewer with unaddressed red flags.

The simplest solution is to have better reasons for leaving a company. Maybe people are leaving because the company is running out of money. Maybe because there are not good opportunities. There are reasons.

Frankly, you shouldn't leave just because other people have resigned. That's a naive reason by itself. Now there are almost assuredly valid reasons driving that resignation -- focus on them. Don't focus on the "other people jumped ship, so I did, too!" factor.

The reason I want to leave too is because I have seen too many cases the bosses cannot drive the company very well and how they deal with the clients and past employees.

This is a far better explanation than "others are leaving." Though I would still focus on the new opportunities if possible. Bashing your current employer doesn't look good. Focus on your new opportunity. People like flattery, so focusing on the new opportunity and its benefits is great.

If you must, something like:

• "I'm excited about this new opportunity and chance to do X, Y, Z. I experience some issues related to how my previous company interacts with clients that I do not like and management doesn't seem to want to fix. Your company handles this a lot better and has <other reasons>."

Answer 2

Leaving a work place because it is unstable is good reasons. However to tell others that you left because others did too would sound bad because it makes it look like you can't think for yourself. Also talking bad about your previous company is just as bad so you should not state that you are leaving because management is bad.

The best way to answer this question is to simply state you are leaving hoping to find a stable, long term employment. That sounds good because you aren't talking bad about the other company and looking forward to the future.

Answer 3

I utterly dis-agree with the notion that "this is a good and valid thing to say." And, I would specifically point out the following sentence from your OP:

"The reason I want to leave too is because I have seen too many cases the bosses cannot drive the company very well and how they deal with the clients and past employees."

So, the reason why you want to leave is "somebody else's fault." Uh huh. Just how many "clients" or "past employees" have you dealt with, and just how many cases is "too many?" If you said any such thing to me at an interview, I assure you that the interview would be finished. I would be polite to you, of course, for a few more minutes ...

(Yes, I have sat on "that side" of "that desk" many, many times. I now have over 35 years' experience in IT.)

Maybe the manager is a screwball. Plenty of managers out there manage "a revolving door" of people who quickly move-on to better opportunities. But, what people do not do, is:   "quit."

Say nothing negative about your present employment situation. If you find it disagreeable, and want to quit because it is disagreeable, then any interviewer would realize that you're likely to find their job "disagreeable," too. (So to speak, "every job sucks...") The only reason why you want to move from one job to another is because you see it as "a move up" for you. A better opportunity. A better chance to use your exquisite skills and experience.

You must also be careful to present the impression that "when the going gets tough, I will not 'get going.'" And, you must sincerely mean it.

Answer 4

That is a completely valid reason to resign. When asked about it I would frame my answer as the work culture was not a good fit and there were no programs in place for employee retention.

Answer 5

If someone told me their reason for leaving a previous company was because everyone else was doing so (with no other background information), I'd presume I was speaking to someone who might not be very bright. There are so many intelligent-sounding, valid, reasonable answers:

• Inability to maintain a good work/life balance
• Seeking opportunities for growth that you can't get in the current job
• Family responsibilities
• Relocation
• Stable work environment

This is just a few, but there are others. Whatever the case, don't spend a lot of time bad mouthing the previous employer. Instead, resolve to tell the interviewer the POSITIVE things you are seeking in a new opportunity.

Whatever the case, give a response that represents you as a person who's done some critical thinking.

Answer 6

You do not need to tell your interviewer everything, and you already seem to be uncomfortable telling them why you are leaving since you are asking here. I will not judge whether telling them your reason is good or not; but if you want to avoid it, then it is perfectly valid to say:

I do not see a future in my old company where I can develop like I wish to, but I am sure you can understand if I do not want to go into the details here.

This statement is absolutely true, and lets your old company keep their honor, so to speak. It lets you stand out as someone who, even while leaving his old company, still is discreet enough not to talk bad about them behind their backs.

Of course you should be prepared for follow-up questions:

Why did you not see a future?

As I said, I do not wish to go into details about the internals of my current employer here. In my future, I see X, Y and Z, and I think in your company I can achieve that...

If they keep digging (which would be quite an offense, if you ask me), you can be more direct:

I really wish not to talk about this; it concerns internal, confidential going-ons with my current employer. I am sure you can appreciate this: you would not want me to talk about internal affairs if I were employed here and were talking with other people, either, right?

Answer 7

As a small business owner who is currently interviewing for several jobs within, I would suggest the following:

Give some thought to what the essential reason why you left as it relates to what you like and disliked about your prior experience and provide that as an answer. In other words, if you prefer to avoid or don't do very well in a turbulent work environment, then say that.

That gives the interviewer the opportunity to speak up and say what the new work environment will be like in relation to your stated needs/preferences. So if the new company also has a lot of employees coming and going, you get to know that up front and factor it into your decision as to whether you want to work there or not. That avoids you having to spend a few weeks/months in the new job before determining that you wish to leave for the same reasons as the prior job - thereby wasting everyone's time/energy.

This is likely also the fairest situation for everyone involved.