The pandemic has certainly changed how we work. But perhaps more impactfully, it has changed how we view work itself. The extended time away from the normal day to day routines of “work” allowed time for people to reassess. Reassess what they want from their careers and how their work impacts their lives and what they value. The slowing down of the workforce allowed people time to question the “soldiering” concept; moving forward for the sake of moving forward and being miserable in the process. Hence the “Great Resignation”.
Being forced to stay at home, many professionals began to question the traditional working models that entailed sitting for hours in traffic to show up at an office to work. Especially when technology like Zoom and online work groups enabled them to do the same work from their home.
And front-line customer facing workers who were declared “essential” and feted with praise found that once the tide turned back to some semblance of “normal”, they were simply expected to go back to low paying jobs with no benefits and accept their fate. The number of job openings has shown that to be a false assumption on the part of many companies. And cynically cutting job benefits in an effort to “force” people back to work has been a failure. They ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s Farm no more. Not without some changes.
The pandemic compelled many of us to look inward to what is most important to our lives and our happiness. And many decided that the well-worn life pattern of Birth, School, Work, Death was no longer the only option.
So, what can your company do to retain and attract talent in the current work environment? In the words of the foremost philosopher of the late 20th century, the “Great Resignation” can be a “Great Crisitunity” for your organization. Here are some key factors that are shaping workers’ decisions.
Flexibility/hybrid work environment
Prior to the pandemic, “Digital Transformation” was the hot topic. The question wasn’t whether a company would adopt digital technology but when. The answer turned out to be “pretty dang fast” if your company had any hope of surviving the pandemic. And many companies managed to navigate the crisis effectively using technology (Zoom, etc.) that enabled their work force to operate successfully from remote locations. In some cases, efficiency went up amongst the remote work force.
Allowing your employees flexibility – remote work/WFH, flex commute, staggered hours, etc. – can result in both an increase in productivity as well as a happier work force. Nobody works “9 to 5” remotely. Nor did they in the office – see also “meeting that could have been an email”. They work in shifts and increments where the employee determines the plan for the day. 8 to 10am, noon to 2:15pm, etc. The 8 hours of work still gets done, just not in a row. No one really wants to be working at 10pm in an office. But 10pm in a home office, after having personal time to focus on family/exercise/mental health/etc. can be incredibly productive.
Bizarrely, some companies have chosen to penalize remote workers and pay them less because of their zip code (but I’m guessing they’re not giving raises to the ones in closer proximity). Others are attempting to ”monitor” their remote workers, essentially telling their workers (who were “in the office” pre-pandemic) they don’t trust them on their own. While Google and Facebook (*cough* “Meta”) may think this is a great idea (it’s not), for most companies, it will mean a wave of resignations. And rightly so. They’re at will employees, not indentured servants.
Communicate/Listen
Communication with your employees is the key factor in determining whether your company will thrive or if it will fall prey to the Great Resignation. One of the factors often cited by employees who are actively seeking a change in employers is communication. Anxiety about the future is very high and transparent communication between an organization and its employees can be an effective way to calm those fears. When leaders communicate to their employees and share with them the good, the bad, and the “we don’t really know”, it makes the employees feel that leadership has a plan in place. They don’t expect their leaders to have all the answers. But they do want to know that the leaders are working on finding them.
And communication also entails listening to employee feedback as well. One of the key factors that employees cite as a reason for leaving an organization is that their feedback and ideas about improving the organization go unheard and unheeded. Regular communication and active listening to your team can be a major factor in mitigating turnover during the Great Resignation.
Have/Support a Mission
One of the things we’ve been hearing from talent is that they would prefer that the work they do result in a positive impact on the world. Being able to use their “superpowers” for good can be a strong motivation to keep present employees engaged and onboard. And having a mission driven aspect to the opportunity can be a strong attractor for new talent.
Given the changes in attitude post-pandemic, this might be a golden opportunity for non-profit organizations to acquire skilled for-profit talent who seek a sense of purpose in their work. While some adjustments would be required on the part of both the organization and the talent, there are myriad opportunities for both entities to grow and prosper from working together. For non-profits, the “Great Resignation” may in fact result in a great advantage.
For-profit companies that have a mission driven aspect can also use the attitudinal changes brought about by the pandemic to enhance their employer brand as well as attract new talent. For example, Patagonia’s focus on the environment and Ben & Jerry’s focus on fair trade are obvious missions given the nature of their products.
But companies that don’t have an obvious mission can mitigate the effects of the Great Resignation by supporting outside “missions”. Or by giving employees the option to choose which mission they support. F5 networks offers employees paid time off for volunteering, donation matching, and opportunities for employees to participate in localized philanthropic campaigns. Herman Miller offers paid time off on election day and encouraged employees that voted already individuals to spend the day giving back. These gestures can go a long way with improving your employer brand, attracting new talent, and mitigating the effects of the Great Resignation. Overall, the key take away is…
Be Human
It sounds simple and almost redundant to remind “Human Resources” professionals to Be Human. But prior to the pandemic, far too many companies treated their employees as “Mere Resources”. That cavalier attitude towards the workforce won’t work anymore (nor should it have ever). We hear it time and again: The success of any company depends on its people. Yet so many companies seem to take their people for granted.
Employees are humans as are their managers and leaders. Everyone in any organization, from CEO to entry level talent, have experienced a major traumatic event in their lives with the pandemic. A sense of purpose and belonging are important to most human beings. And given we spend a significant portion of our time on this planet “at work”, it’s perhaps unsurprising that we’d want that same sense of purpose and belonging where we work.
Mental Health is no longer talked about in hushed voices. Anxiety about the future is widespread. A company that can demonstrate that they understand the challenges that employees face in the “new normal” is the one that will thrive. Flexibility in what employees are seeking in terms of compensation, remote work options that promote life/work balance, the ability to effect positive change. These are a few of the aspects that employees are seeking for their careers. The employer who “gets it”, is also going to get the best talent.
Conclusion
Leaders must acknowledge any missteps and demonstrate that you care about your team and their circumstances. In doing so, you show your humanity and your humility. Employees want to know that they matter and what they do matters. The organization that can effectively provide options like remote/hybrid work, that can communicate effectively, and understands the stress and anxiety that employees are facing, will be the organization that survives and even thrives during the Great Resignation. In all of this, your organization is not only finding ways to retain talent but also finding better ways to attract talent enhancing your company’s employer brand.