Birds, worms, cold feet... 'I quit!'

"Not a good fit" is the No. 1 reason employees give for quitting their jobs, according to a national survey of more than 180 executives.

The nearly 40 percent of workers who used that reason in exit interviews added that their work offered little challenge, potential for advancement, recognition, or decisionmaking ability.

The news should tell employers that filling a position with anyone who seems only remotely appropriate rarely works, said Herbert Greenberg, CEO of Caliper, a Princeton, N.J., psychological testing and human-resources firm that conducted the survey.

The study also revealed that 26 percent quit for higher-paying jobs. Other reasons offered weren't as obvious:

*The building is much too cold.

*I had a vision and was told to resign.

*There's a demon residing in our computer network.

*Need to start a worm farm.

*My pet bird is ill and I have to take care of him.

*Won a court case.

*Had to go to jail.