In this second commentary piece, we'll discuss The Great Resignation from the employer perspective, exploring how to retain talent and create an environment that employees want to be a part of. If you missed the previous installments, you can find part one here and part two here.
We've explored why people are quitting and how companies can retain top talent. Now it's time to dive deeper into why this is happening at all.
It's not new for people to dislike their jobs. People aren't sitting down at their desks and suddenly saying, "Hm, you know what? I don't like this anymore." Then getting up and walking out. Unfortunately, misalignment isn't new, and quitting isn't new, either. In my career, I've held twenty+ roles at more than ten companies, and I've enjoyed things about all of them. We have to realize that the Great Resignation isn't just about people quitting in general. It's about people quitting right now.
So why is there such a widespread movement wherein so many people are making the same decision at the same time?
Cause and effect
The pandemic has been eye-opening. Traumatic. Confusing. Frustrating. Languishing. No one can live through something like this unscathed. Whether we know it or not, we have all changed in some way. Everyone's experiences and perspectives on the pandemic run the gamut, and that's okay - the point is that we had some sort of experience or perspective on the matter. Whether you had COVID or knew someone who did, isolated for a week, quarantined for a year, wore a mask, chose not to, or anything in between, you were making new decisions based on new circumstances. And there was something negative involved in the process, whether it was fear or denial or indifference.
No matter what your stance or experience has been, it's been exhausting. We're tired of dealing with situations like this. If we have to deal with a global public health crisis, we don't want to deal with menial stressors at work.
The scale of the pandemic has dwarfed almost everything else around it. And when issues arise at work, instead of employees simply going with the flow and accepting subpar conditions, they've decided that enough is enough.
...and the wisdom to know the difference
People wish the pandemic were over. But they can't control it. So they are recognizing what they can control and doing something about it. And today, that's their career.
Think about it. Have you ever had a bad day at the office then took out your frustrations on your unsuspecting partner at home? Have you ever felt irritated by a traffic jam and then made an impulse buy at the store? We are trying to internalize what's going on around us, but there aren't enough facts to teach us the way forward. We're doing our best with what we have, but we aren't happy with the ambiguity. And when we are dealing with a negative situation that we can't fix, we oftentimes will turn to something else that we can.
The final straw
Amidst a global pandemic, especially if you contracted the virus or know someone who did, your threshold will likely have moved. You might not care about the same things anymore, and your priorities will likely have reordered. Your perspective is wider now, and you have a new vantage point against which to compare new situations. For example, before, it may have bothered you to not be invited to a particular meeting, but now, you may welcome the extra time on your plate. You also may not think it's worth your time to get annoyed over something so minute, especially after something as monumental as a pandemic is at the top of your mind.
Because your perspective has widened and your priorities have changed, you also may have decided you're not going to withstand the same level of stress anymore. Especially given the focus on better health that this experience hopefully imparted unto us, we may view our stress levels in a new light. As such, certain things are no longer tolerable. Things that used to just be viewed as a nuisance are now below your threshold. Things that you used to dislike but put up with are now things you can turn your back to and walk away from. This sentiment almost has an empowering feeling to it - you no longer have to accept less than you deserve.
And that's what employees are acting on in the Great Resignation.
Employees are putting their foot down - because they can. They're not necessarily demanding outlandish benefits - they're simply asking for what they a) deserve and b) now know they can get elsewhere. Loyalty to your company is no longer at the top of their list; loyalty to their health, families, and values has jumped up on the priority chart.
And employers have to recognize that. More deeply rooted values are coming to the forefront of employee decisions, and employers that want to retain talent have to reflect those values in their actions (and, in turn, their benefits). In other words, providing cornhole and beer is no longer cutting it. Some may decide it's not worth the risk of contracting coronavirus to hang out with coworkers in the office; others may more stringently believe those things are no longer important to them. As such, the idea of a company culture has shifted dramatically.
Company culture redefined
There is a LOT to explore when we talk about company culture, especially in a remote environment. As it pertains to the Great Resignation, it's important to note that an in-person culture that offered fun extracurriculars and ways to connect in person is no longer the best you can do (and in some cases it's not responsible to encourage physical events and put your employees at risk). You now have to shift the company culture to the digital world. And, as it always helps to go back to basics when dealing with a major shift such as this one, you have to redefine what a "company culture" is.
The safest bet would be to split a company culture into the fun, virtual parts of company life and the necessary benefits people need to survive. People are increasingly more interested in companies giving them better means to survive instead of means to connect. They are looking for benefits that help them in their personal lives and individual situations as opposed to benefits that help them have fun with their coworkers. At the highest level, connection in some way is still important, but its application has shifted more toward work and more toward the virtual world.
Here are some ideas about the new company culture to consider:
The connection among employees now needs to be virtual. In what ways are you enabling and encouraging collaboration and communication across individuals, teams, departments, etc.? What does this look like when evaluating connection for project work against connection for social life?
If culture has shifted away from "fun" and more toward "necessity," what benefits are you providing your employees to help them in their personal lives? Maybe instead of free bagels at the office they want gift cards (so they can order their own foods and eat in the comfort of their own homes).
How wide-reaching are your benefits? Do they apply to your entire employee base or do they seem to positively impact only a select few? Consider diversity of demographic, location, and finance when choosing benefits to offer.
I'm not sure who needs to hear this, but a survey is never a cop-out. Get first-party data and hear from your employees directly. What do they want out of a social life? What benefits would they value most? Virtual classes, remote lunch and learns, work-from-home stipends, meditation apps, more PTO...the list goes on. Asking your employees what they want will help you give it to them.
In essence, perspectives have shifted and thresholds have moved. People care about different things now, and companies need to reflect those reprioritized values in the benefits they offer. If they don't, employees, with their new thresholds, will quit, and find a company that does meet their needs. It's best for employees to recognize what these new values are and for employers to pay attention to them as they redesign their benefits packages to retain talent and grow their employee base rather than subjecting to the far-reaching impact of the Great Resignation. It can work for you, or it can work against you - the choice is yours.
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