Earlier this month, the Department of Labor reported that 4.3 million people left their jobs in January, suggesting that The Great Resignation hasn’t abated.
Hopefully, you’ve been paying close attention to the vibe in your company, as you don’t want to be caught off-guard.
A subsequent posting in CEO Daily highlighted (from Pew Research Center) the five key reasons people are bailing out: (1) money, (2) opportunities for advancement, (3) respect (that is, feeling disrespected at work), (4) childcare issues, and (5) not enough flexibility in being able to choose working hours.
Which of these can you control? And what are you doing about it?
If your employees are concerned about one or more of these issues, you need to stand up and pay attention. It takes a lot of energy to change jobs, but people will do so if they feel they will have a better opportunity elsewhere.
Approach this methodically, and you’ll have more comprehensive results. You can create a short (yes, short) employee survey whose responses will give you new data. Make sure you take time to frame the questions as objectively as possible for best results.
Informal conversations are also good ways to connect with your employees as well as to learn what’s on their minds. Beware of taking one person’s opinion as gospel, though; if that person is wrong, it can give you inaccurate and unsubstantiated information.
Among the five reasons, the one you have immediate control over is treating people with respect. When this behavior comes from the top, it’s more likely to have a long-term positive outcome. And, when your employees see you being respectful, they are more likely to act more respectfully as well.
Header image Nicola Barts/Pexels.
