Employees are leaving in record numbers and the solution is deeper than quick win “perks”

My kids love Jimmy John’s sandwiches, our tradition is to get them after a hike (or errands) on weekends.  Being able to stop, get in and out in record time (something they were very famous for) was the added bonus. 

Lately, we have stopped by numerous times to find them closed (early) for the day or having a sign that says “Unable to take walk-in orders for the rest of the day”, next to “We are hiring”.  

The Problem

This is happening practically everywhere and it is spreading quickly.  There are countless articles written regarding this new reality - the Great Resignation. 

The common thread in all the survey data (from Gallup to McKinsey) and thought leadership articles is not that people “don’t want to work, or work hard”, it is much deeper and complex. It is rooted in our key desire to feel that our lives matter, at home, and now at work too. 

This mass exodus has been in the making for years and there is no stopping or ignoring it. So, what are leaders and organizations to do?  

First of all, shift the focus from not wanting people to leave, to creating an environment where people want to stay.  What does this look like?  

When people are energized by what they do, they are happy to go to work. Happy people work hard, are agile to change, are engaged, innovative, and stay longer. 

While we cannot control people’s happiness, we can create an environment that can lead to enjoyment at work by focusing on the basic human needs to be seen, heard, trusted, valued, and appreciated - to matter.

Yep, we have heard all of this before (hopefully), but how do we make it happen?

The Solution

1. Start from the TOP.  Without full leadership commitment and change in mindset and actions, it’s just band-aids.  The goal is to heal the injury and prevent it, not to just cover up the bleeding temporarily with quick win benefits or over-the-counter training.

2. LISTEN with intent to understand what matters to your people and how they want to contribute. And then listen some more.

3. Use all those pretty VALUES from company posters and websites to align the following:

   1. Definitions - what does it mean in action (daily actions) to show up with “Integrity”?

   2. Daily Actions - how are we expected to act by these values?

   3. Decisions - how do we make decisions based on these values?

   4. Accountability - how do we hold each other accountable and what do we do when we slip (we all slip at times)?

   5. Hiring Practices- how do we integrate values in our recruiting practices?

   6. Career Progression Practices- how do we integrate our values in our career framework and progression models?

   7. Etc….
      

4. INVEST in the people, to enhance and advance their strengths and potentials.

   1. Figure out people’s strengths, talents and passions.  

      1. HINT: they are not just what’s on their resume, job description, or role someone else assigned to them. 

   2. Develop solid Learning & Development programs on: 

      1. Human skills (formerly known as “soft” skills):

      2. Leadership skills for new and seasoned managers

      3. Job-specific training (beyond onboarding) 

      4. Emotional intelligence skills

      5. ...

   3. None of these should be taken for granted, done once and be done, or undermined. 

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Just like if you want to lose weight, you can’t eat 2 salads and expect the weight to be gone for good, there is no low hanging fruit when it comes to humans at work. 

It’s not about the picnics, company parties, beer and bowling, “the 2 salads”. It’s about changing the CORE, changing the mindset from “I don’t want people to leave, to I want to create a place where people feel happy, healthy, engaged, and that they belong here”.