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The days of earning a gold watch after 25 years of service are long gone. Studies show that the average working American will have three to five careers and between 10 to 12 jobs during his or her lifetime. So compounding the danger of a tight job market, says Jenkins is "eroding corporate loyalty."

Corporate scandals and disappearing pension funds have undermined the faith employees once had in their employers. So have stories of corporate executives who receive larger-than-life compensation packages, sometimes as much as 500% +more than the average staff person. "Employees up and down the ladder are left with the feeling that 'No one is looking out for me,'…and they're right," Jenkins comments. "So they look for greener pastures elsewhere."

CEO's are not completely to blame. They, too, may feel at risk. "Executive Pay Compensation is a double-edged sword," explains Jenkins. "Boards are more than willing to approve astronomical compensation packages because of their own greed and desire for someone to produce profits." However, these same Boards are just equally prepared to oust a CEO if company and stock performance does not fit their financial expectations.

1. "This means even the best-intentioned CEO's who truly value their workforce will change the way they do business to ensure that Board members and stock holders are happy about company earnings," observes Jenkins. That's why the ugly metamorphoses occurs.
2. "Formerly humanistic CEO's quickly become self-protective and that makes them short-sighted. Instead of taking a long view of the success of the company they were hired to run, they become little more than greedy robots doing whatever is necessary to show a profit."
3. The High Cost of Unhappiness.

A constant loss of employees at low- and mid-levels has always been a costly proposition for companies, but not a fatal one. The inability to hold senior management, however, will challenge the success of even the most stable company. "The costs of staffing and re-staffing are steep," says Jenkins, pointing to the bottom line impact of constant hiring and training.

When highly qualified, experienced, and vital upper-level executives jump ship, however, "the negative impact can shake a company to its foundation. The ability to function smoothly is likely to be insurmountable," Jenkins remarks.

"Given not just the quantity, but the quality of emerging employment opportunities, Jenkins urges companies to focus on factors that drive key leaders to jump ship "and make adjustments in their business model that eliminate those factors," says Jenkins.

A Culture of Fear.