Before early 2020, companies were secure in their employee retention. But the pandemic hit, and every pocket of our lives was affected. This included employee satisfaction. This led to a seismic shift in how people began to evaluate their jobs and how their careers fit in with their life.
Why Are Employees Quitting?
When companies had to adjust and send their employees home quickly, their staff grew accustomed to working remotely. And why shouldn’t they? It offers many benefits, such as more flexibility throughout the day, no commuting hassle, and the opportunity to see more of their families. And working in your sweatpants isn’t a bad thing, either.
Suddenly, life was no longer a rat race. However, with the pandemic settling down and offices calling their employees back in, all of what the workers have become used to, and grown to love, is being taken away from them. Returning to their cubicles doesn’t offer many pluses. 30 - 45-year-olds had the highest quit rate, indicating that they saw this as an opportunity to make a significant life turn.
Employees had a taste of a more relaxed pace and style of working and liked it. However, it caused them to declare that they are done with toxicity and burnout. And there’s probably also a good deal of nervousness about heading back to the office, especially because Covid isn’t completely gone.
Employees are quitting to seek to retain that lifestyle elsewhere, or they are abandoning the workforce entirely. Covid upended a lot of lives on many levels.
How Can Your Company Keep Employees?
Whether your company has been affected by the Great Resignation or not, this is the time to act to stem the flow. You can prevent (more) employees from taking the leap if you focus on some key areas that can bring them greater satisfaction.
It’s better to retain the employees you already have. Bringing in new workers halts the stream of productivity and costs the company more money. You have good employees; keep them!
Connect With Your Employees And Listen
Everybody wants to know that their voice matters. Sometimes just feeling that somebody has listened to you, even if they can’t fix your problems, is helpful. That’s why you should meet regularly with your employees and hear their issues and ideas.
Ask them pointed questions about their work-life balance, what they think about the flexibility of their job, and company policies. Ask them to share their opinions on what works and doesn’t work around the office.
Many of your staff could use more work support in areas that can benefit their families; many have childcare struggles or are burning out and would profit from a wellness program. Are these things your organization can help with?
Even if that’s out of reach for your company, your employees will feel heard and appreciate the collaborative environment. But it can’t be empty; let them see that the company is making an effort.
Provide Opportunities For Growth Within The Company
It’s not a good feeling to be in a dead-end career. Show your employees that they have options within the organization and that you can guide them.
If your company doesn’t have a learning and development program, that would be a good place to start. It’s an excellent investment in your business. Companies that offer professional development opportunities typically have more productive and innovative employees. They feel invested in the company that invested in them.
Don’t give your employees a reason to look around at better opportunities in other companies. They appreciate knowing you believe enough in their talent to support their growth.
Invest In Your Staff
Of course, salary is an important factor in job satisfaction, but if you can’t be competitive with larger organizations, you can entice your employees in other ways. One place to start is by creating an environment that supports your workers.
A company needs to grow along with its employees. So after you’ve listened to what they’ve had to tell you, implement what you can. For example, find wellness programs you can offer to combat burnout; if you can’t provide childcare, offer more flexible hours so parents can work around their childcare needs. Or be creative in responding to what you hear your employees telling you they need.
Express Appreciation Regularly
Expressing appreciation goes beyond your initial investment in your employees. It’s painful to put so much time and effort into your job and not feel valued. Feeling unappreciated causes 79% of people to look for a job elsewhere.
Offer awards to your workers. You don’t need to make it a formal event or even make a big deal about it. It could be something fun and silly that you do around the office, but it means something to the people who are recognized.
You can arrange for peer-to-peer awards, awards from managers, or department-wide rewards. This can take many shapes; even just a public “Thank you, well done!” can go further than you realize.
Inspire To Aspire
Let your employees in on your future plans for your company. They can share in some of the excitement and pride that leadership and management feel. Employees want to know they are a part of something meaningful. When they hear your enthusiasm, it’s infectious.
Navigating the Great Resignation Successfully
The pandemic and the tremendous uncertainty that followed in its wake instigated this phenomenon of employees resigning in overwhelming numbers. However, a successful business is one that realizes that it has the power to retain its employees and entice them to stay in their positions. Therefore, to continue to blame outside forces is merely an excuse not to implement meaningful change.
Instead of worrying about staff leaving the organization, consider this time a gift, a tremendous opportunity to align your business more closely with the people who work there. When you can create an environment that is attractive for employees, it reflects on how your organization does business. As a result, your employees, customers, and business will all thrive.
