Why people are leaving

An applicant, after the final interview, said: “They offered me a salary of P60,000 to work there. I told them to add two zeros at the end, and they have a deal. Now I make P60,000.00.”

One day, a manager examined a job application, then turned to the applicant and said, “For a man with no experience, you are certainly asking for a high salary.”

The applicant replied, “Well, the work is much harder when you don’t know what you are doing.” I doubt he was hired.

And here is one more story. A conversation transpired between an employer and an employee.

The employee said, “I’d like to be paid what I’m worth.”

The employer, in a careful, reflective mood, thought about it and responded: “And I’d like to pay you what you’re worth, but I can’t because there are minimum-wage laws.”

Salary, benefits and work-life balance remain important. However, employees are increasingly evaluating whether they still trust their colleagues and the organization itself. This factor is difficult to measure but critical to address. Currently, employee trust in organizations appears to be declining in the Philippines. This is what I have gathered recently.

It is encouraging to see companies strive for recognition as a Great Place to Work. This process requires genuine self-assessment, employee feedback and organizational courage that is often discussed but rarely demonstrated. At the recent awards event, general manager Charles Plumley shared statistics on current working conditions. With his permission, I am sharing their findings.

Aon’s 2025 Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study indicates that 64 percent of Filipino employees are either seeking new employment or considering a move within the next 12 months. This is not simply a retention issue; it reflects a significant leadership challenge.

The study also reveals that employees are not solely motivated by higher salaries. Filipino workers seek better benefits, improved work-life balance, economic security and, most importantly, clear evidence that employers genuinely care about their development and well-being. Ultimately, they are asking a deeper question: Can I trust the people leading this organization?

That is a question no compensation package can answer.

Great Place to Work Philippines collected feedback from thousands of employees, and the results are concerning. From 2023 to 2025, the percentage of employees who consider their workplace psychologically and emotionally healthy declined from 82 percent to 78 percent. Those who believe colleagues genuinely care for one another decreased from 88 percent to 83 percent, and workplace enjoyment dropped from 87 percent to 83 percent.

During the same period, the percentage of employees who feel they have the necessary tools and resources increased from 87 percent to 91 percent. Despite investments in systems, technology and infrastructure, employees report feeling less connected, less supported and less trusting of leadership.

Improved equipment has not translated into stronger relationships, resulting in a costly disconnect.

Many leaders respond to these findings with new programs, engagement initiatives or all-staff communications emphasizing that employees are the company’s greatest asset – often just before budget cuts affect training. Employees are increasingly aware of the gap between leadership’s statements and actions. Trust is not established through announcements but demonstrated through consistent behavior.

A survey by the Philippine Management Association found that 50 percent of employees feel their concerns and proposals are not adequately addressed by management. This lack of acknowledgment contributes to employees disengaging before formally leaving.

Building trust does not require consultants or additional budget approvals.

Trust is built when managers communicate difficult decisions honestly rather than relying on corporate language. It grows when individuals listen before responding, when promised promotions occur as scheduled and when employees are treated as individuals rather than as headcount. Conversely, trust is eroded by small contradictions, often leading to resignations that should not come as a surprise.

The business case for building trust is strong. Great Place to Work has shown over decades that high-trust workplaces drive retention, agility and overall business success. Trust is a performance multiplier, and its absence carries costs that may not appear on financial statements but are evident in organizational outcomes.

Consider the most important question: not “How do we make people stay?” – which frames employees as a problem – but rather:

Why should they trust us enough to want to?

When trust declines, retention becomes costly. When trust is strong, loyalty follows. Organizations that succeed in attracting and retaining talent will not necessarily have the largest budgets, but will be those whose employees can look to leadership and say, “I believe.”

Start there.

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