3 Ways Employers Can Stave Off the Great Resignation
Let’s face it, fellow employers: it’s possible we’ve created a monster. In our quest to bring a robust, efficient, high-performing organization to life, we might have taken for granted that our best people will stick around forever.
It took a deadly pandemic and a dramatic upheaval of our daily lives, but our workers have finally realized that life is too short to remain where they don’t feel valued or understood. Many are considering their future, and wondering whether or not they truly have a path forward at their company. The Great Resignation is here, and there’s no place to hide. Put down the torches and pitchforks and stay with us, because we have three ways to stave it off.
One: Let our all-stars know just how much we appreciate them.
Our best people are our best people for a reason. Even if they’re unhappy lately, odds are they’re still out there doing their thing, kicking a$% for their company. It’s in their DNA. They will probably continue to do so right up to their breaking point, so we can’t always rely on dips in performance or attendance to warn us that a “do you have a few minutes to chat?” is on the horizon.
The reality is that they don’t want to have that tough conversation any more than we do. Change is scary, and the decision to quit a job is not made lightly. If we show our employees that we sincerely care about their work and their wellbeing, they’ll be a whole lot less inclined to leave.
We can do this in small, easy ways. When they’re going above and beyond or just plain killing it, we need to call it out. We should check in regularly to make sure they’re not burnt out or struggling, especially if they’re dealing with a heavy workload or a particularly difficult task. Making our workers feel genuinely seen and heard will go a long way.
Two: Get to know the people that work for us. Like, REALLY get to know them.
Don’t forget that our employees are people. They have things they absolutely adore and things they downright despise. They have lofty goals and vivid dreams. If we want to keep our best people around, we have to make an effort to truly understand them.
We need to start the conversation and keep a dialogue going with our workers. What are their core strengths? What do they like doing? Is there anything they’re interested in adding to their skillset? Even more crucially, we should understand our employees’ aspirations. What are their short- and long-term goals? Where do they see themselves down the road? Listen to their answers to all these questions and keep them top of mind.
Understanding and accommodating our workers’ skills and desires will not only help us manage them effectively, but will give them incentive to stay.
Three: Make internal mobility a cultural cornerstone.
If there is a clear path to learning and growth at our companies, our best people won’t have to step outside to look for one. We need to make it clear that they have a future with us, be it laterally to a different business area or vertically to higher up roles.
Hiring and promoting from within will save time, money, and employees. We won’t have to spend big on recruitment marketing, we won’t have to burn hours upon hours digging through tons of applications, we won’t have to worry about cultural fit, and most importantly, we’ll get a massive retention boost.
LinkedIn’s research on the topic indicates that organizations with high levels of internal mobility retain workers for almost twice as long as companies that struggle with it, and it’s easy to see why. If an employee is happy at their company AND has ample opportunities to move up and around, why would they ever want to leave?
There we have it: the three key pieces of a successful retention strategy. Doing all this will require an open mind, a shift in recruitment priorities, and perhaps the addition of a shiny new tool to our human resources toolboxes (ahem), but that’s a small price to pay to go up against the fearsome Great Resignation… and win.