Star employee quits on the spot, now ex-CEO wants to know the real reason: 'I was just given employee of the year, then 3 weeks later I put in resignation'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Feb 14, 2025 2:00 PM EST

Most employers don't expect the people with whom they bestow the honor of Employee of the Year three years in a row to quit unexpectedly a few weeks later. 

When this kind of departure occurs in one's own workplace, it is the responsibility of the CEO and the human resources department to assess what may have actually gone wrong, especially if the employee's departure leaves a huge void in the team. Unfortunately, it comes as no surprise that most employers in positions of authority do not have the level of self-awareness to admit and accept the problems within the organization that they might be enforcing. Check out this employee's reasons for leaving his job!

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    Cheezburger Image 10467346432
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • The now ex-employee asked this online community if he should give his former CEO his honest opinion about the problems within the company after the CEO invited him out to dinner. Friends of the employee suggested that he keep his exit interview with HR strictly professional, which, in their eyes, meant staying vague and instead saying he found another opportunity elsewhere. Clearly, the CEO knew it was bigger than that; otherwise, he wouldn't have invited him out to dinner following the exit interview…

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    Hi all, I recently resigned from an organization where I was employee of the year several years in a row, 3/4 years (year 1 we didn't have employee of the year), it came with great shock to everyone given I was just given employee of the year, then 3 weeks later I put in resignation.
    via redzjiujitsu
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    HR and I did an exit interview pretty early on and I just gave the yeah I have a better opportunity etc. but my CEO reached out to me this morning to take me out for dinner to get the real reason as to why I'm leaving and where "we" (organization) messed up with me.
    via redzjiujitsu
  • 04
    CEO also is responsible for why I have a job lol, he found me during university and I've been at the company since my final exam
    via redzjiujitsu
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    I do have an honest list, but with the feedback provided by everyone in my network it was to not tell HR the real reason and just be pleasant.
    via redzjiujitsu
  • 06
    The real reason as to why I'm leaving are reasons like: 1. Low salary, below market rate and asked to be matched to market rate they couldn't (on two occasions)
    via redzjiujitsu
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    2. Overworked and doing the role of 3/4 roles 3. Inability to "breathe", 1. Too stuck in the day to day and impossible to be strategic because of lack of hiring
    via redzjiujitsu
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    4. Requests for resources weren't met and now me leaving is making them realize 5. Lack of trust in innovation 1. Company doesn't want to adopt future ways of operation and stuck in their ways
    via redzjiujitsu
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    6. Onboard of new hires aren't making any impact and have a "sugar coated" path to success where people who have been here for awhile have been over loaded with work so they cannot grow
    via redzjiujitsu
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    7. Leadership became very leadership vs staff 1. Decisions were made with no insight towards staff and lack of planning 2. People were locked out of day to day tools etc.
    via redzjiujitsu
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    8. In office staff became "jealous" of WFH staff and caused issues towards WFH staff / made their lives harder for no reason (a top down issue, not a people. issue) Should I be upfront with CEO and let him know?
    via redzjiujitsu
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    Cheezburger Image 10467346688
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • We agree with several folks in the comments section that the more professional thing to do would be to find an honest way to relay these valid concerns about employees' wellbeing within the organization. How else will the other current employees at the company have a better experience?

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    ill_The_Dinosa... . 20h ago You should absolutely be up front with the CEO. They reached out and asked to meet with you because they want to know what happened.
    via redzjiujitsu
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    You've been a valued employee and they are losing you, CEO wants to keep valuable employees and cannot make the necessary changes without knowing what the people working in that environment every day are facing.
    via redzjiujitsu
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    As someone who sits fairly high up in the totem pole at my company - I prefer honest, tough answers when employees leave and I have taken that advice and moved
    via redzjiujitsu
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    forward on a number of complaints - In 2024 I had four employees return to work for me, and I'm proud of that.
    via redzjiujitsu
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    Holiday_Pen2880 • 20h ago HR gets the sanitized list. The CEO, you have a different relationship with. He gets the 'over a couple beers' list. He trusts you and wants your actual insight to determine if there is an actual issue - he doesn't want it tinted through the lens of HR.
    via redzjiujitsu
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    Some of them may be his directives and are not being messaged properly. Number 5 is the one that gives me the most pause - no one got fired for buying IBM. It's
    via redzjiujitsu
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    very risk/reward with innovation - would XBox be the dominant player if HD- DVD had become the next change physical media?
    via redzjiujitsu
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    Number 6 seems a bit personal, the ol' they didn't. have to walk uphill in the snow both ways like I did argument.
    via redzjiujitsu
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    But if you have a solid relationship with him, getting an understanding from a lower level can be helpful.
    via redzjiujitsu

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