6 tips to combat the 'Great Resignation'
The situation may feel a bit dire, but with this direction on how to mitigate it, there’s hope.
As the 2021 “Great Resignation” continues, employees aren’t just burnt out — many feel their job or careers have stalled out and their priorities have shifted. As a result, they’re leaving en masse. In fact, according to recent research from Gallup, 48% of America’s working population is actively job searching or watching for opportunities.
Virtually no industry, geographic location or company size is immune. And according to our 2021 Global Culture Report, we know that employees are 81% more likely to suffer burnout in what we’ve identified as “non-thriving” workplace cultures. It’s an employees’ market right now, and leaders are panicked about how to retain them and adequately address their culture needs.
Related: ‘Resignation wave’ continues, despite improving economy
Especially in the current climate, employees need to know that not only are they monetarily valued for their contributions and are able to work in a healthy workplace culture, but that their employer will chart a clear pathway for their longstanding success in the organization.
According to new research conducted by the O.C. Tanner Institute in June, of 2,731 employees in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Canada and Australia, the top reasons employees have chosen to stay with their organization through the pandemic are flexible work options, competitive compensation, leadership support and career development.
The situation may feel a bit dire, but with this direction on how to mitigate it, there’s hope. Here are some simple yet impactful actions that leaders can take to address employees’ evolving needs to retain their great talent.
Put wellbeing and work-life balance at the top of the priority chain by modeling and encouraging open and frequent communication.
This means sharing updates on even the not-so-great organizational changes and specifically noting when you’re offline for a family or personal appointment to encourage that blending of work and life during office hours. Employees shouldn’t feel scared or embarrassed to acknowledge that they have family needs that need to be addressed during the workday.
Foster an inclusive workplace culture by working to eliminate microaggressions and negative interactions in the experiences of your people and elevating the whole person.
Organizations with high inclusion and low exclusion reported 93% less burnout. If you’re unsure how to begin with this or know employees who struggle with what to say or do, start by holding regular, co-created and meaningful one-to-ones with individual employees so you have time to discuss this and other workplace topics.
Recognize and communicate the value of employees’ great work.
During this era of great physical divide, having a technology platform that’s integrated into employees’ daily communication tools is a smart and often affordable investment. These tools help recognition to become part of your organization’s cultural DNA by calling attention to an employee’s great work or effort through an e-card or award nomination, and celebrating years of service via Zoom where an employee’s family or friends can join in. When employees are recognized for the small and large things they contribute, they are significantly more likely to handle frustrations at work and to be a promoter of the organization.
Provide competitive compensation and a strong benefits package.
Salary, benefits and career development opportunities continue to be the top pain points for employees who are considering leaving. If your budget is tight, remember that it may save you more in the long-term to increase salary and benefits offerings now and reduce employee turnover and the costs that come with that overall. Try to keep this in mind as you forecast budgets and prioritize money going straight to your workforce as best as you can.
Chart a clear pathway for employee growth.
Employees want to know that the company is going to invest in their career development and have a standardized practice for their longstanding success and promotion within the organization. With this in mind, actively share individual pathway plans with current hires and make sure that your management team is able and willing to communicate this with your workers at all levels.
Repair any lost connections to an employee’s purpose, accomplishment and one another.
Across the last 18 months, we’ve all been experiencing widespread fragmentation and disconnection across society and within our organizations. Leaders will need to address this if they want their employees to feel loyalty to their organization.
- Purpose: Communicate to employees how their work makes a difference on an overall basis and the purpose behind their daily efforts.
- Accomplishment: Be clear about what success looks like in your organization, recognize success appropriately for all levels of contribution and communicate the great work broadly so that recognition is being given, received and observed regularly.
- One another: With layoffs and furloughs, many workplace cultures became an “everyone-for-themselves” kind of community. Leaders need to intentionally design moments to connect, whether that’s through formal or informal get togethers virtually, or when appropriate physically.
Although some employee turnover is inevitable and oftentimes allows for positive moments of change, 2021’s era of “Great Resignation” doesn’t need to leave employers high and dry. Try these six things, either one-by-one or simultaneously for rapid change, and you’ll notice less turnover and a more engaged workforce that has chosen to stay.
Meghan Stettler is director of the O.C. Tanner Institute.
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