Tag Archive for: Great Resignation

Tips to Help your Company Avoid the Great Resignation

And retain your best talent with tips from experts

In Part 1 of this article, we explained what the Great Resignation is. The shifting and changing environment of the “way we work” shed much light on the “way we want to work”.

Of many things – one thing is certain – your employees’ wants and needs supersede other things. But, to cater to individual needs is a near-impossible task. Thus, bringing a change would require you to focus on aspects that positively affect most of your employees.

We’ve shared a few ways that employers can turn the wheels to their advantage.

Before we learn about that, let’s look at some tips that can help you and your company acquire and keep talent for a long time.

Be adaptable

Establish guidelines and set boundaries:

Set clear guidelines on how to treat remote workers. It’s important to let your employees know what is expected of them. Give them the freedom to work on projects that interest them and contribute to the overall success of the company. For instance, remind your employees it is okay if they are not camera ready.

Another aspect is to “​​establish expected communication guidelines during and outside of working hours. Each team will have to define what works best for them,” says Kayla Hasler, BDR & Digital Marketing Manager at Abelian, a certified Salesforce Consulting Silver Partner.

To clarify, Hasler gives an example, “If someone needs to communicate something outside of traditional work hours, restrict communication to just emails with the understanding that the team member receiving the email has no requirement to review or respond outside of business hours.”

Take measures to push employees to take breaks and ask them to switch off.

Employee bonding with virtual events:

With the shift to remote working cultures, it is natural for employees to feel disconnected and isolated. To bridge this gap and to build relationships among your team, opt for virtual events.

For instance, every few months, Commercient creates a virtual event for its employees to foster team building and connection.

Similarly, you can also push your employees to play games virtually. “You could do a Virtual Scavenger Hunt and try to find as many things as you can around your home from a list. Or do something a bit simpler such as Two Truths and a Lie. Games like these help you get to know your team better; and are a fun way to connect,” says Kayla Hasler.

Another great way is to help new team members in online orientation and have prompts for existing employees’ birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

Kayla further adds: “If your team has Slack, use the Slack Donut integration. The Donut integration will prompt quick introductions between colleagues with pre-designated conversation starters to help you get to know your team remotely. Additionally, you can set up Donut to acknowledge team members’ birthdays and work anniversaries as well as holidays, making everyone feel more recognized and connected.”

Focus on results:

It’s time for companies to pivot toward measuring outcomes. Drive your employees to performance and reduce stress by rewarding them for working smarter, harder, faster, and more efficiently than ever before. While still enjoying their lives outside of work! Boost their morale and make them feel valued— two things that will make your employees less likely to resign.

In an interview on LinkedIn, IBM CHRO Nickle LaMoreaux, states: “Companies are going to see a pivot around measuring outcomes — not activity — and that’s going to play a big part in company culture.”

Moreover, long working hours do more harm than good.

As noted in a study by John Pencavel, Economics Professor at Stanford University, productivity declines sharply when a person puts in more than 55 hours at work.

Empower your employees

By making them feel respected:

Employees are more likely to stay with an organization if they feel supported and appreciated. When people don’t feel valued by their employers, it erodes trust among co-workers. It feels more like a “what’s in it for me?” situation rather than an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Use tools and technology like Commercient’s SYNC to let your employees see the bigger picture. Make them feel – trusted, valued, and connected by giving them access to their and other departments’ data they need to create the results they want, whether it’s in Sales, Accounting, Customer Service, or Marketing.

By involving your employees in policy setting:

Conduct surveys and understand the needs of your employees to adjust policies accordingly. Couple this with addressing their issues. Ask for feedback once the changes have been made. This kind of involvement and open channels of communication will result in generating a sense of empowerment among your team.

For instance, in deciding on the new normal of the hybrid workforce, give your employees a chance to discuss what they want and how you can serve them better.

Or as Kayla Hasler says, “​​employers can utilize Google Forms to collect answers among the team; it can even be customized to allow for anonymous feedback to help encourage their candor.”

“It’s the concept of servant leadership, [where] you are there to support your team, not for your team to support you. We really believe and practice that at SoftBank,” says Softbank’s CHRO Francisco Sorrentino in his interview with Webex by Cisco.

Create a sense of purpose:

Be a people’s leader:

Gone are the days when employees left their personal perspectives at home. They now bring their whole self to the workplace along with their views on societal and political issues. Thus they expect the same from their employer. So, it is important for you to talk about your stance on political and societal issues.

A Gartner Inc analysis found that three out of four employees want their senior management to talk and take a view on current issues.

Be authentic in approach:

To foster a culture of purpose, be more vulnerable than invincible. Take it upon yourself to create an environment where everyone can associate and feel part of something bigger than themselves. Institute weekly or monthly meetings where anyone could speak up about anything that needs attention. And be a conversation starter in those meetings. Share your personal struggles and weaknesses and turn those scenarios into opportunities for learning and growth.

As Amy Schultz, Global Talent Head for Canva, says in her interview on LinkedIn: “Leaders need to inspire folks in new ways.” Be more human and earn the trust of your team.

Encourage Growth

Allocate training budgets and time for upskilling:

In a survey conducted by the PEW Research Center, 63% of respondents said they shifted jobs due to a lack of career advancement opportunities. This clearly indicates you need to provide your team with integrated learning solutions – not just for technical roles but for every job profile across your organization.

Take Siemens, the technology giant, created an in-house learning platform for its 300,000 employees – My Learning World, which uses AI to monitor each employee’s interest and suggest accordingly. “We jokingly refer to it as Netflix of Learning,” says Jill Zahm, Siemens’ director of talent management, as quoted in an HR Executive Article.

Conduct more webinars for Upskilling:

If you do not have a huge budget to spend, then try organizing webinars for your team. You can call in an expert from the outside of your organization; or ask one of your own senior management to conduct a session across departments. For example, you can ask your CMO to conduct a webinar about the marketing basics for your development team.

Take care of your employees

Consider new policies:

Companies like Kickstarter, Bolt, and CIB Group have adopted a 4DWW model, and many companies are joining the league.

Take Buffer, a social media management platform company that adopted this policy in 2020 and says 91% of their team is happier and more productive in their State of Remote Work 2022 report. “We put a lot of trust in our teammates to accomplish their goals and manage their schedules accordingly, and the four-day work week has proven to be a powerful benefit in also attracting talent. We believe the four-day workweek is the next evolution of human-centered workplaces.”, says Nicole Miller, the Director of People at Buffer.

Or adopt a mandatory shutdown policy like LinkedIn, Thomsan Reuters and Nike, unlike vacations that happen asynchronously. Ask your employees to put their laptops down and focus on their well-being; at the same time company-wide.

“The best is to lead by example by key leadership taking off a full week to rest and recharge. Furthermore, teams can even reward employee loyalty with extra vacation time, which in turn can help retain your team members,” adds Kayla Hasler.

Be empathetic

Train your managers to do continuous check-ins to recognize any symptoms of stress or distress. Provide your employees with access to virtual therapy sessions through companies like Lyra Health. Encouraging such practices and providing emotional support, you can “build culture and create a sense of belonging[ness amongst your team],” says Danielle McMahan, Wiley’s Chief People and Business Operations officer, in a LinkedIn report.

“Companies can help teams manage stress and mental health by providing financial assistance such as a monthly wellness stipend to help pay for co-pays and/or fees for therapy services and/or other avenues of mental health wellness.”, says Kayla Hasler.

She adds, “They [Employees] could use it towards any number of routes to mental health wellness, including a gym membership, home exercise equipment, cycle classes, in-person or virtual therapy, and more; the choice is ultimately up to each team member.”

Another way is offering peer-to-peer counseling because it helps to talk to a coworker. Supporting employees with challenges outside work can also help them feel more valued and loyal.

It’s not all bad; rather a time when you as an employer can benefit from it.

How can employers swing the Great Resignation to their advantage?

Huge Talent Pool to access from:

As employees consider other benefits a priority, you can pull some great talent to your company without paying extra or even at lesser pay. To hire such employees, create a strong EVP (Employee Value Proposition) based on your values, missions and the experience and opportunities you provide as a company.

Recent research by Gartner backs it up, “Employees no longer want the traditional employment value proposition; instead they want a more human deal with their employers where they are recognized as people, not just workers.”

More responsibility creates more accountability:

Employees seek more meaning from their jobs. They want to have a charge. Giving your employees autonomy to make decisions at their level means they are proactive. They take the initiative to learn new skills and expand their knowledge base. Because they feel heightened performance pressure to do the job well. There is a caveat to this – striking balance.

24/5 working companies:

With the growth in remote culture, more companies have cross-border employees. Due to this amalgamation, your business never sleeps. The benefit for you and your company is twofold. On one hand, you have established the DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity) culture as more employees seek it today. On the other, you have created a team that can answer your customers’ queries at any time of the day.

Movement, Moment, or Trend in time:

It has been a debatable notion ever since it came to light. Some economists argue that great resignation was only a trend or a moment, and it would settle down sometime, especially with a recession lingering. While there are others, you contend with it as a movement. However the case might be, one thing is certain – the pandemic re-shaped ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how’ perceptions of a job, and employees want more benefits beyond better compensation.

So, it is paramount to use technology like Commercient’s SYNC to integrate systems, modernize processes, and involve your employees in the activities across departments by making their jobs less monotonous and more value-driven. Moving forward – start by using analytics and taking a data-driven approach to decision-making.

The Great Resignation: What Do Employees Want?

The world is not static – it evolves; neither are we humans: our preferences change. And one thing is certain: The way we want to work and what we expect from it has changed permanently. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated and brought the realization upon us –To rethink the way we work.

“Workers saw that quitting their jobs gave them a chance to take control of their personal and professional lives,” said Anthony Klotz. An Associate Professor at Texas A&M University, he was the one that coined the term in his May 2021 Bloomberg interview.

This happened with Ajay Patel, Work Process Specialist at Create Time Consultants. He was given two choices – take a new assignment or leave. Ajay saw this as an opportunity to build his own business and left his last employer in October 2021.

“Because the company made promises that assured me I could still be home and drop my son off at day-care every day. This was on day 1. Fast forward 6 months, and those promises were coming undone,” he explained.

The new assignment also required Ajay to travel half the time. So he either had the option to maximize his earnings; or choose a path where he could spend more time with his family.

“This was a loser deal for me. To face reality where I took more time away from my family for a few more bucks didn’t appeal,” he added.

Like Ajay, this has been the case and cause for many who have left their jobs in the last year and a half.

Despite so many people quitting and swapping jobs, it remains a doubt for many who ask –

Is The Great Resignation Real?

The Great Resignation upended workforce dynamics in 2021 and continues to in 2022. And this is very much a reality. According to the US Department of Labor, in March and April 2022 there were approximately 9 million workers who quit their jobs. Making a case that the Great Resignation is a ground reality, but still, many companies ‘are not getting it right’.

So, this brings us to a burning question –

Why is the Great Resignation Happening?

As Klotz said, “The pandemic brought the future of work into the present of work.”

But how?

On-going Health Fears and the realization of the meaning of ‘work-life integration’ –

The pandemic brought the attention of the world to the importance of health. The alarming death rates and loss of loved ones made one thing clear, life triumphs over work.

Additionally, other factors such as child care and high levels of burnout during the pandemic made people re-evaluate their expectations from work. According to a survey by Glassdoor, the proportion of reviews discussing burn-out increased by 100% in 2021.

The ‘workism’ no longer remained a norm and life became a priority.

Remote work changed the outlook:

Early 2020 brought the transition from ‘office-work’ to ‘home-work’. We learned the taste of flexible work hours and how they factor into making our lives better. Casual seating, no formal dress codes, no long commutes to work, and a comfortable environment led to huge mindset shifts. “More than third respondents said their work-life balance was better at the height of Pandemic”, in a survey for Beamery’s Talent Index USA.

The “worth it” equation took center form.

Employee Experience

As mentioned above, with a solidified shift in people’s perspective and what they want from work; their emphasis on needs has increased many-fold.

Also, there is a sudden increase in the talk about mental health and more C-level executives addressing the pressures. This has added to unhappiness becoming the likely quotient for quitting, and one moment is all it takes to take the plunge in the other direction.

“A third of workers – managers and non-managers alike – said that they were considering changing companies for the sake of their mental health”. (A report by Forrester Consulting Inc commissioned by Modern Health)

Toxic Company Culture

According to a recent MIT Sloan Management Review Article by Donald Sull (MIT Professor), Charles Sull (a Founder), and Ben Zweig (A CEO), “A toxic corporate culture is by far the strongest predictor of industry-adjusted attrition, and is 10 times more important than compensation in predicting turnover.”

The same article-study also found that “companies with a reputation of healthy cultures, including Southwest Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and LinkedIn, experienced lower-than-average turnover.”

Culture is driven by how companies think of their employees and workplace. Fair treatment, respect, unethical behavior, and inclusion make up the internal culture at companies. This all escalated in the post-pandemic world due to the increasing adoption of reflective mindsets and questioning norms.

So much for unsatisfied needs and wants being at the core of Great Resignation; but what are these?

What do employees want?

“This shift is different,” says Amplify’s Lars Schmidt in a LinkedIn report, “because this shift isn’t just about tools and technology. It’s about mindset, about desires, about the expectations from both employees and employers. It impacts so many different things and it’s happening in such an accelerated time frame.”

Professional Development:

A new insight that Great Resignation brought to light is employees are seeking skills and career advancements. They want to grow and evolve and want to be offered such opportunities.

According to Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PWC said in their latest report, “Rewarding [work] has to get defined in new and different ways as employees are looking for changes to that work, especially as you think about how automation can help reduce the monotony and some of the routine type of things that they do.”

As much as 83% of respondents said that they want their company to support career progression. (Beamery’s Talent Index USA)

Flexibility:

In post-pandemic times, people want the opportunity to spend more time with their families and kids. Instead of just sticking to their basic 9-5. They want to work on their terms and no longer want to be micromanaged by their superiors.

“Because these work arrangements give us more flexibility and control over our lives. And more autonomy and freedom in how we structure our lives. I don’t think most people are willing to go back to a traditional work environment,” Anthony Klotz addressed in his Bloomberg Interview.

Prime cause why this wave also saw many charting their own path. According to Digital.com, a leading review website for small businesses, published a report which states “more than 1/3rd Americans are quitting their jobs to start their own business”.

Well-Being:

Beyond high pay, employees want care and compassion, whether it’s emotional, physical, mental or financial. The shift in working scenarios brought a change in how employers and employees connected. “There’s no longer a separation between home and work life”, says Becky Garroch, the VP of people and places at Digital River, in a LinkedIn report.

With this amalgamation, employees now look up to their employers to be more empathetic towards their families as well.

Purpose Driven Work:

The rising tide of resignation also put forward – meaningful work is what we want. The pandemic with its drastic impact, became a catalyst for people questioning their purpose and values. They now want to work where they can contribute more than results. Where they align and sync with an organization’s purpose. Thus, some call it “The Great Reflection”.

“People have developed a new sense of awareness and worth for themselves and the world around them. This is prompting them to demand more personal value and purpose from both life and work.”, according to a recent Gartner Survey.

Empowerment

Employees want the power to make small decisions about their work. There is a constant desire to be more humanly and more authentic at work instead of being robotic – where they are fed instructions without acknowledgement. They want power to pursue their plans and be heard for their ideas.

“Feeling empowered to contribute to the best of their ability, and having their contributions valued, matters more than paycheck or title to many employees.”, says Josh Cyphers, President of Nvoicepay, a FLEETOR Company.

Next steps: 

In light of the situations which led to the current scenario; organizations need internal restructuring involving both human and technological aspects. For instance new unified systems created using technologies like Commercient SYNC . Along with new policies and procedures addressing the changed demands of the employees. 

To learn how you can better implement the solutions and what measures can you take in the first place, keep an eye on our blog. Part two answering these queries is coming soon.