The World Economic Forum describes the Great Resignation as, “a phenomenon that describes record numbers of people leaving their jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.” Reasons for the vocational exodus are few, and there is yet to develop a consensus, but the bottom line is clear: workers want more flexibility when it comes to where they work and when they work. This means a more individualised approach, using tools like employee engagement surveys to optimise working conditions and improve productivity. Below we’re taking a look at how to retain employees during the “Great Resignation” with five valuable guidelines:
- Listen to your people’s needs
The quickest way to find out how people are doing is to ask them. Determine workers’ general well-being, and how they feel about their working conditions, to identify where you can support your teams better. For example, some workers might well prefer to be working from home but are too afraid to speak up and ask for work-from-home days. Who knows, an idea like that could be exactly what your business needs to boost overall productivity and improve staff retention.
- Reward loyal employees
Humans are wired to appreciate rewards. When we aren’t rewarded for our hard work and years of workplace loyalty, it can feel like we aren’t appreciated. During the Great Resignation, to protect their own wellbeing, unhappy employees are more willing to take risks like quitting their jobs without another to step into. Rewarding loyal employees means showing them that you appreciate their valuable commitment to your business, what it does, and what it stands for.
- Focus on organisational culture
A business runs on revenue, everyone gets that. But building a positive, strong workplace culture is just as vital to business success. It pays to take the focus off of the bottom line from time to time, instead focusing on things like team building, developing personal connections, and forming positive intra-organisational relationships. This might also involve uncomfortable soft-skill development, like dealing with conflicts and resolving any pre-existing ‘beef’ between teams or team members.
- Establish a higher purpose
The Millennial generation is the first to really expect corporate entities to align themselves with causes, like pollution reduction, protecting the oceans, etc. The modern consumer wants to know that their money is being spent to make a difference, at least in part, in the world. The same is true for employees, who increasingly want to see that the hard work they put in is making some kind of a difference in their company and their community.
- Keep your finger on the pulse
Using monitoring tools like the WeThrive employee engagement platform, a business can keep a finger firmly on the pulse of their organisational culture. It uses surveys to understand your employees’ needs and aspirations, identifying people who are disengaged and offering recommendations to optimise employee engagement. Energy Alchemy uses the WeThrive platform as part of our consulting services.
Boost business success by investing in your teams
Energy Alchemy are transformation and culture consultants, enabling an organisation’s leaders to inspire and empower teams to succeed. For a business to transform and thrive, every team member needs the opportunity to flourish. Bringing out the best in people is a skill, and very few leaders are naturally gifted with it. We guide businesses through transformation processes, providing high-level skills development and accurate employee engagement data to transform leaders into motivational, inspirational change-makers.