The Great Resignation

The mass exodus of 2021, tips on how to weather the storm!

Between September and December 2021, 5 employees have resigned from the 2 companies I manage. They all gave varying reasons; to focus on physical health (1 person), to focus on mental health (1 person), to go back to school (2 people), to explore other opportunities (1 person).

The last resignation came a few days ago and now I am forced to ask myself the million-dollar question, what did I do wrong. Or am I actually a victim of the great resignation seen all over the world?

All around the world, employees are submitting resignation letters especially amongst those who are between the ages of 30–45 years old, who are female, or who were considered essential workers during the pandemic.

Apparently, employees are not necessarily looking for higher pay, or more time off, or more days working at home and so on, they are more concerned about respect, equity, and the value of the work they are doing. And of course, people are tired and need a break from the pandemic-driven stress.

So if you have fallen a victim or you sense you will soon become a victim of the great resignation, here are some tips to help resignation proof your organization:

1. Create a more appealing work environment that is safe, welcoming, and engaging and also offers a competitive package
2. Ensure there is adequate training especially among managers on how to lead and manage talent
3. Build and encourage relationships with and between employees
4. Accept that burnout is sometimes inevitable and actively address it
5. Allow for flexibility in work schedules; within resumption or closing time or hybrid working policies
6. Limit the amount of employee surveillance no matter how tempting
7. Recognize, reward, and elevate employees who are loyal and high achievers
8. Reevaluate how performance is evaluated and rewarded to ensure it is in line with the expectations of the employees
9. When hiring, ensure you are recruiting the best talent and have a strong onboarding process to enable an easier transition

Right now, employees are saying ‘we can do better’, and have tipped the balance of power in their favor through labor shortages. However, as employers, we can also do better by creating an environment where employees feel respected, perceive fairness and believe their work is valuable.

I am the director of research at Versa Research, a data, research & consulting company!

References

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/397361

https://hbr.org/2021/09/who-is-driving-the-great-resignation

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/great-resignation-accelerating/620382/

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit