The Great Resignation: How Employers and Employees Should Prepare

By hrlineup | 12.05.2022

Recruitment is challenging, and organizations are determined to retain their best talents. However, with the great resignation currently causing tension in the business sector, employers are losing their best workers. So, what could be the cause of this great attrition? While some may blame the situation on poor compensation and employee benefits plans, there is more than meets the eye. For instance, during the covid-19 pandemic, businesses that had embraced technological innovation benefited since they had their employees working remotely. As a result, it was easy for HR professionals to allocate tasks and manage time.

Note that transitioning to new technology has not only negated the business situation but has provided room for keeping up with modern reinventions. Employers should adapt to such changes and readjust their policies to suit the emerging trends and employee needs. To prepare for the great resignation, it is crucial that you understand other reasons why employees quit so that you can take measures to overcome it without affecting your business’s bottom line. 

Why is the Great Resignation Happening?

Employees have realized that sticking to one employer poses job insecurity and deprives them of their future control. So, what do employees want from their employers? To answer this question, we came up with the following reasons to give employers insight into areas that require improvement to meet their employees’ needs.

  • Looking for Greener Pastures

An employee may feel like the company they work for is not offering enough, thus jeopardizing their career goals.  As a result, they will consider accepting job offers from other promising companies that invest in employees’ career development to attain their dreams and goals.

  • A Better Work-Life Balance

Employees need to have a flexible work-life balance to boost their morale and increase engagement. Note that too much work with limited time off can overwhelm employees, and when that happens, they will lose interest in the job. They need time off to reflect on their duties and other issues as well as spend time with their families and friends. Work-life imbalance causes turnover because employees get too overwhelmed and have no time to focus on their personal lives.

  • Employee Burnout

Too much work and unexplained role expectations caused by poor orientation programs can lead to job burnout. When an employee reaches this level, nothing matters to him, and the passion for work diminishes. Furthermore, nothing in the office environment suits their liking, thus leading to an early resignation.

  • Poor Recruitment and Employee Orientation

A good recruitment strategy requires solid plans and efforts from all the staff members. If the organization’s hiring process is inefficient,  employers will witness a high employee turnover rate. This is because you will end up sourcing candidates with the wrong qualifications that won’t suit your business requirements and culture. Additionally, how you welcome the new workers matters because they will undoubtedly leave if they feel uncomfortable in the environment. 

  • Poor Feedback and Recognition

Employees always want to have a sense of belonging in a company and feel that their inputs are appreciated. If the management is poor at giving feedback and recognizing their employees’ work, they will feel unaccepted and apply for jobs elsewhere.

Overcoming The Great Attrition

To overcome the great employee resignation, the talent management team should brace up and find out where they fail. Below is how employers can overcome the great resignation to boost their business productivity.

1. Enhance your Recruitment Strategy

An efficient recruitment program will offer candidates a good hiring experience that will motivate them to join your crew. Consider using AI-enabled recruitment software to rule out chances of biases and inequalities. Moreover, implementing recruitment tools in your hiring strategy will streamline the process and stipulate the job requirement and ethics. As a result, the candidate will have a complete picture of how the company operates before accepting the job.

2. Promote  Employee Career Growth 

Overcoming the great resignation means hiring the best talent and taking measures to ensure they remain loyal. One way to do so is to invest in your employees’ career development. Provide an engaging work environment that will challenge them to meet the company’s objective and enhance their skills and professionalism. Consequently, this will improve your workforce skills, and they will act as your ambassadors in marketing your brand. However, employees who want to venture into different talent pipelines should be encouraged to do so to attain their dreams.

3. Improve Workplace Communication

Employees want to feel part and parcel of a company’s mission and culture. Having an open communication system and getting their views regarding a company’s policies is relevant in retaining them. Wrong leadership only causes havoc and tension in the workplace leading to high employee turnovers. Additionally, employers should provide the right feedback to their employees and appreciate them for their input. With excellent communication, it will be easier for workers to improve on their shortcomings and become more productive. 

4. Embrace Technological Changes

In this fast-paced world, new technologies are invented every day, and it is crucial to embrace them to stay ahead of the competition. For instance, during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, organizations that initiated active use of technology were not badly affected. Online marketing and remote working played a key role in ensuring work went on as usual, and employees were compensated. Therefore, employees desire innovative employers who find alternatives out of hardship rather than sending them home indefinitely. Many employees have embraced the advancing technology because it promotes social interactions and career security. 

5. Improve Employee Compensation and Rewards

Every employee wants to feel appreciated for the services. Therefore, apart from the normal payroll, identify ways of motivating them. This can be done through career promotions, lunch treats, and possibly wage increases. With high financial constraints, employees may be tempted to resign not because of your management style but to find a company with higher payment rates. 

6. Realign Your Management Team

Most turnover rates are experienced due to poor management teams. As an employer, you should be flexible and approachable to all subordinates. Create policies and organizational cultures that are bearable and favor all your employees. Furthermore,  managers should treat all the workers fairly and act as good ambassadors between employers and employees.

Conclusion

The great resignation has taught employers that everything is dynamic in society. Nothing can stop change, but embrace it and use it to improve your organization’s productivity. That being said, companies should follow the tips highlighted above to attract and retain quality employees. As you have seen, low compensation is not the major reason for employee turnover. Therefore, each employer should identify the reasons for the great resignation and work on overcoming them. Most importantly, consider improving your company policies, and you will have nothing to worry about.