The Great Resignation of 2021

In a phenomenon now dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’, employees are quitting their jobs in droves, many determined to change careers altogether. These anomalous numbers attracted attention when they began spiking in the autumn of 2021, particularly in the foodservice, hospitality, and retail industries so beleaguered through the pandemic. The trend has now spread to almost every other industry, throughout the world. Depending on the survey, something like half of all employed people are actively on the market.

There are several factors driving this. The first – and most nebulous – is a general working malaise. It’s not altogether surprising; as we all now know, a global pandemic isn’t easy or stress-free to live through. In addition to typical stress levels in any job, every employee has been working through a period of increased anxiety and unpredictability for eighteen months and counting, in many people causing symptoms similar to burnout.

Naturally, some people were already dissatisfied with their job or workplace, getting ready to move on prior to the onset of COVID. If they were fortunate enough to have continued secure employment, they hung onto it as they watched friends lose their jobs. This has led to an unusual level of pent up frustration as things begin (at least in some ways) to return to normal.

There are a great many employees who were asked by their employers to work from home through the pandemic, and discovered – no surprise here – that they enjoyed it. Now that their employers are requiring that they return to the office for their work, they’re questioning why, reluctant to give up the flexibility that they’ve enjoyed without a good reason for doing so.

It’s also not hard to imagine that income replacement programs offered by governments to support unemployed people have caused some of those people to question even the nature of employment itself, returning to ‘the grind’ only grudgingly and looking for something different.

With this multitude and range of reasons why people might be dissatisfied and considering walking out the door, how can you avoid your employees being part of this number? There are three strategies that are always valuable for keeping your finger on the pulse of employee engagement, but especially so right now.

Check In

If you want to understand where your employees’ heads are at, the first step is to ask. For larger organizations, this might mean conducting a broad-based employee engagement survey, or a series of brief ‘flash polls’ (protect employee anonymity if you want honesty, which may mean engaging a third party to conduct this kind of research).

Checking in, though, doesn’t necessarily mean surveying. Now is a great time to encourage managers at all levels of the organisation to touch base with members of their teams: sitting down for regular one-on-ones, communicating with intention, getting a sense for how engaged people are feeling in their work and what could be improved. Be ready to set aside ego, make it safe and acceptable to speak up, to really listen, and to respond to concerns (either with changes where it’s possible and appropriate, or with good explanations why some concerns can’t be alleviated).

Show Appreciation

There are many things a company can do to make employees happy: compensation increases, bonuses, more perks and benefits, promotions and professional development, and more. Time and time again, though, employees report that one of the most critical things their employer can do to make them want to stay is to show appreciation. To recognise their good work, and to let them know that they’re a valued member of the team. It costs nothing to say, “Thank you, really nice work”, either publicly – like an email to the whole team recognising one person’s specific contribution – or one-on-one (remember that some people cringe at public recognition just as much as others crave it).

It’s been more difficult to show appreciation to employees working out of the office; the natural conversation points at which that recognition would happen are harder to come by. Now, perhaps more than ever, is the right time to show your employees that you appreciate their work and commitment to the company through the challenging last year and a half.

Question the Status Quo

Many companies have asked their employees to be flexible throughout the pandemic. Creating, then working from home offices – some more makeshift than others – almost overnight, continuing to work while children of all ages are home from school or daycare, trying to remain alert and engaged through yet another video meeting (“I think you’re on mute, Michael ...”).

If you’ve asked your employees to work from home, and are now asking them to return to the office full-time, know that some of them are questioning why. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you must move away from onsite teams in favour of remote employees. It only means that it’s helpful to understand your own reasons for asking your people to come back, and how you can make it work better for everyone.

For many managers and companies, it’s the innovation and energy flowing from more collaboration. But collaboration doesn’t happen automatically just because everyone’s back in the same space. If this is your goal, what structures or processes will you put in place to foster the kind of in-person collaboration you’re looking for? For some companies, it’s more about the close working relationships and camaraderie that are knit from a tight social fabric. That’s great, but not every employee thrives in the same kind of social culture. What programs and activities will you initiate to allow everyone to experience – and contribute to – the social environment you want to create?

Be aware, as well, that many temporarily-remote employees have experienced a kind of work-life balance and flexibility that they’ve never had before. For these employees to be happy back in the office may mean proactively encouraging behaviours that preserve that balance (prompting people to take a head-clearing walk over a full lunch break, instead of eating at their desks, for example), and offering a greater degree of flexibility to deal with personal and family commitments.

Whatever status quo has meant for your organisation, be open to questioning why you’ve always done things the way you’ve done them. Whether they change or not, you’ll have a greater sense of purpose and intention about what you’re creating with, and for, your employees.

These three strategies can help strengthen your employee satisfaction and engagement at any time. Now more than ever, though, they might just be the keys to preventing your best people becoming part of the Great Resignation.