A record number of people quit their jobs since the pandemic began, and the trend continued in 2022. This phenomenon has been dubbed the great resignation, and it has been causing havoc across the corporate world. According to PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, one in five workers quit their jobs in 2022 globally.
The Great Resignation is a genuine phenomenon, and it’s not just reserved for people who want to quit their jobs. It also applies to managers and leadership teams who no longer wish to be part of a company or project.
A good deal of research has been done on this topic, but there aren’t any clear answers yet on how we can prevent the great resignation. However, here are some tips that may help you avoid this situation.
Improve Communication
Communication is key to any relationship, and the workplace should be no exception. According to McKinsey, effective internal communication can improve organizational productivity by 25%.
If you’re concerned about your team members quitting because of poor communication, talk to them about their needs and wants. Ask them how they feel about their work, the company, and even themselves.
When you have the information you need from your employees, use it to improve their experience in the workplace. If an employee wants more attention from management, reassign a manager so one person can take on multiple roles or hire another manager as support staff for this particular department.
Speak to Your Employees About What They Want
As a manager, you’re uniquely positioned to help prevent the Great Resignation from happening at your workplace. You know how to make your employees feel valued and included, and you need to remind yourself how vital these things are.
First, focus on creating an environment where people can voice their concerns and share their ideas. If someone comes up with an excellent idea for improving the company, make sure they know it’s appreciated by rewarding them for it, maybe even publicly. Your team will feel appreciated when they see that others value their work.
Second, consider ways to show that every employee is part of a team. It can be as simple as having lunch together once per week, but it’s important not just because it builds rapport among coworkers but because employees who feel like part of something bigger tend not only to stay longer but also take pride in their jobs overall.
Encourage Team Bonding Activities
Team bonding activities are fun and help employees get to know each other better. You want your employees to feel like they are part of a team. You can achieve it through informal activities that allow them to relax away from work-related responsibilities.
If you have a big office space or an open floor plan, consider organizing team bonding games like pool or ping pong once or twice a week. You can also plan an office happy hour for your employees where everyone can discuss any issues they may have with each other in a more casual setting outside of work hours.
Happy hour is a great way to bring people together. It’s a chance for coworkers to interact informally or even bond over drinks. It can be crucial in the workplace if you have people who work on different teams or in various departments. A happy hour allows them to get to know one another and feel like they are part of the same team.
Happy hour also fosters better communication between coworkers. When people come out of their offices and socialize with each other at happy hour events, they are more likely than ever before to share ideas and information that might otherwise not be shared through traditional means.
Say Thank You To Those Who Deserve It
The next time you’re in a meeting and someone does something great, make sure to thank them. If you’re unsure what to say, try something like, “Thanks for all your hard work on the XYZ project; it paid off.”
According to a Workhuman and Gallup study, when employee recognition hits the mark, employees are four times more likely to be actively engaged at work and five times more likely to feel connected to their workplace culture.
It’s also a good idea to let people know that they’ve been appreciated. Even if they don’t want to be recognized at first, it might be worth saying thank you anyway. You never know how this could affect their career or how long they’ll stay at your company.
Similarly, if someone in your department consistently goes above and beyond their job description but rarely gets recognition for it, take a minute out of your day and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts too.
Be Flexible With Working Hours
Great resignation can happen for many reasons, but one of the biggest is burnout. When employees are burnt out, they are unhappy and want to leave. If you’re able to give your employees flexible working hours, it will help them manage their work-life balance better so that they aren’t overworked or exhausted all the time.
It can prevent burnout from happening in the first place because if something goes wrong on the job, employees can take care of themselves by taking breaks or spending more time with family when needed.
It would help if you also thought about providing other kinds of flexibility, like allowing people to work remotely or at home during certain times, having an office space where people can go and work alone, or having coworking spaces where people can meet up with colleagues outside of work hours, etc.
Encourage a Dynamic Atmosphere
One of the most effective ways to prevent employees from quitting is by creating a dynamic workplace atmosphere. To do this, you must encourage your employees to be themselves and speak up if they have an idea.
Another way you can encourage a dynamic atmosphere is by sharing successes with your team members. If someone on your team has been promoted or received recognition for a great project, ensure everyone knows about it.
The more people who are aware of the amazing things that other people on their teams are doing, the greater their sense of belonging will be, and keeping them happy in the workplace is vital.
And finally, share failures as well. When someone makes a mistake at work, do not punish them for it but show empathy and understanding instead. You never know when that person might come up with an idea or solution that could help solve another problem down the line.
Conclusion
With these tips, you can head off some of the most common reasons employees leave. But sometimes, a resignation is the right move for both parties. In addition to protecting your company from losing good talent and experiencing unnecessary turnover costs, it can also help your employee grow personally by giving them opportunities they couldn’t find elsewhere.
We hope this article has given you some ideas about maintaining a positive work environment that will minimize employee turnover and keep your business humming along smoothly.
