The New York Times called it Quitagion; others call it The Great Resignation. But what is it and how can we fix the pandemic of resignations?
The pandemic seems to have a lot to answer for when it comes to workers quitting their jobs with many people seeing a change in their priorities when it hit. Victoria Short, CEO of Randstad, puts some of it down to burnout. Saying that “some teams have been running too hot for too long”.
For some employees, it was a realisation that “life is too short”, and off they went into the sunset to pursue their dream job. However, when we chatted to John Tarrant from DNA back in 2021, in his experience this might be true in some instances, but frankly many companies are simply deluding themselves if they think that is the only reason their workers are quitting.
Some workers saw their employer in a new light when Covid struck and simply didn’t like what they were seeing being treated in an unsupportive and uncaring manner. It most likely pushed many workers who already had doubts, over the edge and to quit. A BBC report in 2021 said that for many, their employer played a big part in why they walked away during the pandemic.
So how do you stem the tide of workers quitting?
We’ve put together our top 5 tips on ways to reduce attrition in your workforce.
Avoid the black hole of onboarding and plug the gap
In some sectors, like education and care, for various reasons, there can be lengthy delays between when a candidate is offered to their first actual day in the job.
In care and education, delays can happen due to compliance and DBS/Online Disclosure processes that have to take place before a new hire can start.
Teacher recruitment has other obstacles. Typically taking place between February and June and job start dates not until the beginning of a school year, this delay often outweighs any that compliance and DBS checks can take.
By plugging the gap between the acceptance and start date with tech like a Welcome Hub for new hires for your applicant tracking system - where new starters feel loved, appreciated and know what to expect before they’ve even started - can make a huge difference.
Getting candidate engagement right from the off has never been more important to the long-term retention of a new hire. Research by Brandon Hall Group says that with the right engagement you can decrease time to settle and perform by 30%; improve new hire retention by 82%; and increase productivity from day one by 70%.
Show workers that you care and ask them how they’re feeling
Check in on your workforce morale. If they’re disengaged, then it’s just a matter of time before they quit. Put together an engagement survey - how are they feeling about themselves, their work, their future and about you as an organisation. And make sure you’ve really thought about everything, including those difficult to ask questions. As John Tarrant from DNA said, it’s even more critical that you actually take action based on the results you get.
Praise! Make sure hard work is recognised
It might sound like a small thing, but people thrive off receiving praise. Many workers will resign if they feel unappreciated - 66% of employees in fact. Show them some recognition for the great work they do – most people get a buzz from it, and they’ll stay and want more!
Flexible working - is it here to stay at your company?
Many of your employees will no doubt be used to waking up in the morning and popping into the next room at home to start their day of work. And for many, they’ll expect a degree of flexibility and home working to continue when infections drop and restrictions ease even further. A survey by People Management, said a staggering 47% of employees would consider quitting if flexible working was taken off the table.
Whilst currently here in the UK, some nations have now removed the guidance to work from home. If you intend to tell people to return to the office, think carefully about how it’s positioned. Are workers comfortable in talking to you about their fears or anxieties about an office return? Listen to what they have to say, take their concerns seriously and consider how you can support them better.
Communicate career opportunities
Many workers simply might quit to grow their career. But if they can do that with your company, you need to make sure they know that and achieve those opportunities with you! When you’re advertising for a new job, give your own workers the opportunity to apply first before it’s advertised externally.
We’re a team of HR and recruitment experts. If we can help and advise you further, or you’d like to know how the Jobtrain system supports our clients to recruit and engage with their candidates – drop us a line using the form below.