Articles : What Your Company Can Do to Avoid the “Great Resignation”

As things slowly start to return back to normal with the lifting of restrictions and mask mandates, some offices are getting ready to open their doors again for the return of their employees.

However, this has been met with some mixed reviews by many working from home for the last two and a bit years. Many have gotten to enjoy not commuting every day in traffic, the ease of being able to make their meals at home, the comfort of their home office, and a better balance with their loved ones. As a result of this, there are a lot of people who are now re-thinking the fate of their current positions and are looking to employers to do more.

You may have heard of the term “Great Resignation” being tossed around, which refers to an influx of employees quitting their jobs due to the realization of things related to their careers, working conditions, and long-term goals. This is the mindset of a lot of people right now, especially after experiencing the freedom of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mentioned above.

So what can your company do about it? Whether you think your company is going to experience this boom or not, here are some steps you can take to minimize turnover at your company following the pandemic.

1.  Offer greater flexibility.
Not every company will have the ability to do this, but if you are a company that has been successfully working from home since the start of the pandemic, it may be a good idea to at least look at the option of how you can become more flexible to your employees. Flexibility can also include things like working hours, not just working from home options too. Some suggestions:

• For those that would like to continue working from home, can they remain remote?
• If you prefer people to be in the office, do they have to be in the office at all times? Perhaps you can look at a hybrid approach.
• If you really want your employees back in the office, could you look at working with them to find office hours that work best for both you and the employee?

2. Show that there is opportunity available.
Take the time to show your employees what it would be like to have a career at your company. Some employees may not even believe that there is more opportunity for them to grow unless you show them. Whether it’s a new hire or someone who has had some time at your company, sit down with each individual and have a conversation about what their current skill set is and what they can do to improve on their talents to help grow and move into different positions or departments within your company.

3. How do you support mental health and wellbeing?
The topic of mental health and wellbeing was at the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions, mask mandates, remote learning, and working from home – many experienced a lot of stress, anxiety, worry, and frustration, which took a major toll on their health and wellness. As a result of this, it may be a good idea to review your current benefits package to ensure the mental health needs of your employees are being met. It’s not enough to offer more time off or vacation for your employees to help them combat things like burnout, for example.

4. Show appreciation.
Do you thank your employees from time to time? Showing appreciation is a huge way you can improve employee retention, maintain positivity, and encourage motivation at your company.  And it also doesn’t have to be anything major either. A simple email saying thank you to an employee for all their hard work can go a very long way. You can also take it a step further by offering bonuses.
 

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