Why People Leave: It’s (Still) the Culture, Not Just the Paycheck

So what drives people away?

The MIT study and many others since then consistently point to five top reasons:

1. Toxic culture — lack of respect, inclusion, or psychological safety
2. Job insecurity or organizational instability
3. Poor management or lack of support
4. Lack of recognition and development
5. Mismatch between personal values and company culture

It turns out that most of these aren’t about job duties — they’re about how people are treated, how decisions are made, and whether the environment feels fair and human.

And that last point — culture misfit — is often the quietest, but deadliest, factor.

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Culture misfit: the silent turnover trigger

You can be paid well and still feel drained.
You can have a “cool” job title but dread every meeting.
You can work in a well-known company and still feel like you don’t belong.

When people’s preferred way of working — their pace, communication style, values, or expectations — clashes with how a team actually operates, friction builds. Slowly at first, then all at once.

We’ve seen this pattern repeat across industries: the wrong culture fit leads to disengagement, burnout, and eventually the exit.

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The fix isn’t perks. It’s alignment.

Free snacks, yoga classes, or ping-pong tables can’t solve a deeper problem: misalignment between people and the environment they’re placed in.

That’s why BackwardsHire exists.

We flip the hiring process on its head — starting with how people want to work, and finding teams that actually match.
Not just in buzzwords, but in day-to-day rhythm, psychological safety, communication style, and core values.

Instead of applying blindly, candidates can explore company cultures first — and only match with teams where their way of working will thrive.

It’s not magic.
It’s just common sense… finally made practical.

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Let’s make culture visible and intentional

We believe culture fit isn’t a soft topic. It’s a hard business outcome.
When people and teams align, you get:

✅ Lower turnover
✅ Faster onboarding
✅ Healthier engagement
✅ Better performance — sustainably

If you're a candidate tired of one-size-fits-none job posts…
or a team frustrated by early attrition and hiring mismatch…
you’re not alone.

It’s time to make cultural fit more than a buzzword.
It’s time to make it the starting point.

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Referenced study: MIT Sloan Management Review, “Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation” (Jan 2022).