By Raquelle Solon, Director, Organizational Development, and Steve Davis, Account Manager and Training Specialist
You can’t avoid the Great Resignation. It’s in the news headlines and everywhere on social media. It may even be impacting your workplace. But the causes and implications of this much-discussed phenomenon are varied and not fully understood. In a time of shifting work culture, it’s important to get clear on what we know, what we think we know, and what it all means.
We know the U.S. hit a 20-year high quit rate in November 2021 and nearly 48 million people left a job last year, according to Pew Research Center. We also know there is high labor demand (11.3 million job openings in January 2022), meaning employers must compete for quality candidates.
We think we know why people are leaving. Practical reasons include low pay, no advancement or growth opportunities, and inflexibility. Relational reasons include feeling disrespected and undervalued or experiencing toxic work culture. Personal reasons have been following a dream and wanting to do more meaningful work.
What does it all mean? The Great Resignation is a reminder that finding, onboarding, and retaining talented, motivated people is mission-critical. Organizations can take this time of uncertainty to ask the essential questions:
- Are our leaders the communicators we need them to be?
- Do our policies promote inclusion?
- Do our teams build psychological safety?
- Have we truly adopted the flexibility required for pandemics?
Asking and responding to these questions will help organizations excel in the face of change.
If you want help not just surviving but thriving during the Great Resignation, please contact us at ODconsulting@allonehealth.com and schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
