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Discussions of the Great Resignation have been taking over online spaces, with employers lamenting the loss of their prized employees. It isn’t a secret that more people are choosing to leave their jobs behind and leaving employers to scramble to fill their spots. This article will discuss attracting and retaining employees in a rapidly evolving competitive world.
Move Out of Survival Mode and Start Adapting
In 2020, the world came to a screeching halt—and then it started moving again. Many employers got caught simply trying to weather the storm, but the time for that has passed. Employers need to focus on reskilling and upskilling existing employees to ensure that they can succeed at their jobs and seek personal opportunities for growth.1
Ease Up on Job Qualifications
Throughout the years, companies have seemed to demand more and more qualifications for potential employees. There is a push for higher degree levels, existing certifications, and a growing demand for more years of experience. The reality is that these qualifications are entirely unnecessary in many cases. Be more realistic about your needs so you can access a larger hiring pool.1
Purpose Work
Employees want to be a part of something special, and as their employer, you can make this possible. Positioning your business so that it has some kind of positive impact on the world can incentivize employees to work for you—and it is a great way to boost business as well.1 Companies with goals that can have a positive environmental or social impact have a lot to gain, and many individuals are searching for a sense of purpose in what they do as an occupation.
Tips to Get Started
Finding ways to attract new employees and maintain existing ones is a strategic focus for businesses right now. Talent attraction and retention can determine your company’s potential in the years ahead, which means you need the right approach to create a positive future.
Step Back and Find Out Why People Are Leaving1—Leaders need to be accountable when it comes to turnover rates. Asking employees who have resigned from your company why they are choosing to leave can help you to make changes and retain more employees in the future. It sounds simple, but you’d be amazed at how often this is not done or considered a priority by many employers.
Design a Formal Virtual Onboarding Orientation—New hires struggle enough with their onboarding in an office environment. Given the recent move towards virtual work, even further challenges need to be addressed. Significant changes must be made when hiring virtual teams. A formal virtual onboarding and orientation schedule can help employees feel like a member of the company and ease points of frustration or confusion. You can’t take your existing onboarding processes and think that they will work in the online environment. In the same way online educational classes are designed exclusively for distance-learning students, you must do the same with your virtual onboarding.
Reserve Face-to-Face (FTF) Meetings for the Final Stages of the Hiring Process1—Potential employees are independent people living their own lives. Keeping the hiring process mostly virtual can help them stay safe and better accommodate your scheduling needs.
Consider a Hybrid Approach to Work1—Splitting work between virtual and on-site hours can help keep your employees comfortable while they work.2 Most employees are not ready to entirely shift back to an in-person work environment, so offering a hybrid approach can incentivize them to stay with your company instead of choosing to go elsewhere.
Final Concluding Thought
One important point we’d like to conclude with is the power of Stay Interviews. They are a great way to retain talent and get ahead of employee resignations. What is a Stay Interview? It’s an interview you conduct with existing employees to ask them a series of simple questions on why they chose to stay with your company. This requires a structured approach to engaging with employees and giving them a psychologically safe environment for them to share and dialogue with you.
These types of interviews are often overlooked, or worse, not considered necessary for many organizations. If you are of that mindset, let me offer this piece of advice. Stay Interviews, if conducted properly, provide you with viable information from your employees to make positive changes within your workplace. Additionally, they can provide you with patterns and data related to your employee turnover rates. During the “Great Resignation,” you can’t afford not to be doing this!
Want more information about the Great Resignation and how to solve it from the inside-out? Check out our latest podcast with Gregory Nielsen from Neilsen Training & Consulting.
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Human Resource Management is a complex process that requires careful planning and strategy execution. Leader Essentials Group can help you navigate the complexities of the “Great Resignation.” Email us at info@leaderessentialsgroup.com to schedule a meeting to learn more about how we can partner with you in the development and execution of strategic outcomes for your company during this labor shortage crisis!
Dr. Cristina Rosario DiPietropolo is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Leader Essentials Group, an executive consulting firm focused on organizational effectiveness. Extensive experience across multiple industries and highly skilled in the areas of strategic planning, organizational behavior, human resource management, change management, leadership, and digital marketing. Over ten years of teaching experience as a Visiting Professor of Management, with a special focus on leadership in entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, and international management.
_________________________________________________________________________ [1] Korn Ferry. (2022). 2022 Talent Acquisition Trends: Talent Shortage Officially Moves from Acute to Chronic Problem. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.kornferry.com/insights/featured-topics/talent-recruitment/talent-shortage-moves-to-chronic-problem-in-2022/download-pdf [2] Reisinger, Holger, & Fetterer, D. (2021). Forget Flexibility. Your Employees Want Autonomy. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from https://hbr.org/2021/10/forget-flexibility-your-employees-want-autonomy