“People are looking at work through a very different lens. The lens is things like, ‘I am not working for a paycheck. That’s not what this is about. I need to be fulfilled,” shared Benjamin Granger, Head of Employee Experience Advisory Services at Qualtrics.
In 2021, employers witnessed an unprecedented rate of employees leaving their jobs. When questioned, these people cited a multitude of reasons for their resignation including burnout, exhaustion, a lack of appreciation by the organization, and a lack of connection to the organization.
“Many internet industries have reached a stage where there is no explosive growth but all the heavy work is still here,” said Jack, a 32-year-old tech worker. “All the stress is still here. You lose hope.”
If employers want to avoid a greater attrition rate in 2022, they have to recognize their employees’ reasons for leaving and address those reasons with the power of adaptability.
“Adaptability is the ability to be flexible and respond most effectively to working conditions, but it’s a nuanced skill because it means adapting when things go right or wrong,” said Jennifer Orechwa, an award-winning Employee Engagement Expert, HR and Labor Relations professional, and the host of ProjectHR Podcast.
It starts with self-care
65% of employees cited a lack of balance between their professional and personal lives as their primary reason for resigning. On the other hand, 63% shared that their physical and emotional well-being is the main reason for leaving.
This is clearly a result of the pandemic which blurred the line between work and home, and forced people to prioritize their health.
As such, organizations should implement a flexible working model centered around self-care. Employees should develop adaptable mindsets and routines that will equip them with the necessary self-care tools that help them deal with adversities.
Make them feel belonged
For years, organizations built their identity around profit rather than people.
Therefore, when people cited not feeling valued by their organizations (54%) or a lack of appreciation by their managers (52%) as the primary reason for their resignation, organizations realized that they needed to re-architect their culture.
Adaptability-building initiatives are necessary to retain and attract good talent. This is because it creates an atmosphere of vulnerability, empathy, and authenticity.
“Small, simple gestures are an impactful and cost-effective way to make employees feel truly valued,” said Maxwell Huppert, Senior Creative Copywriter at Zoro.com. For instance, “we have a new client who seems pretty picky, and since your work is so detail-oriented, I think you’re the only one for the job,” shared Avery Augestine of The Muse.
Hence, cultivating a sense of belonging and stronger relationships within the workforce.
Turning adversities into learning opportunities
The past two years have brought about multiple challenges for organizations including the Great Attrition.
If there is one lesson organizations can learn from this is that success comes from “the ability to embrace adversity as a chance to change ourselves and our situation,” said Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich.
Organizations must re-architect their existing reskilling and upskilling programs to include the power of adaptability.
It won’t be an easy task but an easy step forward is to develop a growth mindset amongst the workforce.
In doing so, organizations prove that they want to re-architect their culture to prioritize their employees’ experience and wellbeing.
