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Things have been in chaos ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 at the end of 2019. And it’s not an isolated event, but something continuing to shake the world. As per reports by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs, coining the terms like ‘The big quit’, ‘The great resignation’, etc. But is that all there’s to it? With hybrid work-life, the new normal, employees are now reevaluating their mental health, satisfaction, and how their work adds to their overall life goals. Based on the parameters of wellness, work-life balance, and wellbeing – the employees are now quitting their 9-to-5 jobs and jumping in to start their side hustles, or even choosing to get upskilled. While there has been a lot said and done about the ‘Great Resignation’ the root causes are pointed out to be:
- Blurring of work and personal life with Work-From-Home setups, causing massive burnout
- Need to stay accessible by colleagues at all times
- Wage neglect by employers for decades, with the last minimum wage increase in 2009.
However, just because everyone’s talking about the ‘Great Resignation’ doesn’t mean it’ll happen in your workspace as well – not as long as you take the right approach with your employees. Here’s how:
Listen To Your Employees
‘The Great Resignation’ may come as a surprise to business owners, but know that for your employees it was always on the cards. Think about it, up until the pandemic took place forcing people to see what matters in life, employees always prioritized office time over family time. However, the same couldn’t be said for a majority of employers.
Now, as employers have no other way in making things work without a work-from-home work-life, many of them are trying to buy their way in by pay hikes. But, they need to get out of their bubble – it’s no longer just money but also overall mental health, being seen, heard, and valued. One of the ways you can implement such strategies are:
- Restructuring your work policy based on improving employee wellbeing, collaboration, and avoiding any burnouts.
- Adapting flexible work scenarios thus keeping your employees comfortable in taking care of their personal and professional responsibilities without falling into the rigidity of pre-pandemic operations.
Incorporate Transparency
The more you micromanage someone’s work, the more it can cause more harm than good for your employee’s performance. Instead, integrate more trust and transparency in each area of your operations so that everyone stays on the same page. Reshape your workflow as per the resources you have, thus averting any additional work burdens on any individual of your teams.
In case of any possible delays, always communicate to your clients and keep them aware. And no, it won’t affect your clientele, something that you can refer to Amazon, how they kept talking about delivery delays much before the global lockdowns started worldwide.
Empower Your Team
How unfortunate it may seem, but as per the reports by the Work Institute, manager behavior is one of the most common reasons for someone to quit their job. For this, you’d need to give more control of their work to each of your team members, especially the team leads and managers who serve as the pivotal bridge between the leadership and the workforce.
You can also design anonymous surveys, exit interviews that can help you gather insightful feedback, thus making it easier for you to identify gaps and fill them in with adequate incentives, hikes, promotions, appraisals, etc.
Automation Saves The Day
When thought carefully, humans have been automating since the day we threw away stones and pebbles and designed the abacus. And it’s a never-ending process, where there are tools to take care of another item on your to-do list without having to bat an eye about it.
And unlike popular belief, as long as creativity is not an automation feature – human jobs are not under threat. But it is a plus in retaining your employees since it makes their work easier.
Deliver A Satisfying Employee Experience
How tables have turned this pandemic when all this while the only experience they cared about was all about customers. If you have an open position that you’re screening candidates for, please note that your candidates are also evaluating you. From employee feedback on Glassdoor to client reviews on Google, and to tracking your current employees on LinkedIn – they’ll be in it all. So, delivering a good employee experience each step of the way can be more essential than ever.
Wrapping Up
There’s a silver lining to all of it, and it is that there are a lot of talented professionals out there – looking to find a workplace where they feel belonged. Something that you can be if you embrace people-centric initiatives. And one of the easiest ways you can do so is by having compelling HR tools take care of every little detail of your fast-growing organization. In case you needed suggestions, here’s what we recommend:
Qualtrics, Seattle
They’re leaders in delivering employee engagement-based HR solution that comes with personalized features, employee feedback systems, actionable insights, and more. Trusted by renowned brands worldwide, they also provide a custom demo on request.
Cornerstone, Santa Monica
Folks here are known for their AI-powered HR platform built for a myriad of requirements including – automating employee events, data-driven strategic decisions, etc. Their vast range of solutions for each business as per their needs and products are great for business owners across all backgrounds.
Lattice, San Francisco
A full-scale HR management tool, their products come with unique purposes from driving performance to building engagements in a business scenario. They also come with years of experience and work with thousands of brands worldwide.
If you’re still here and are looking for something that goes beyond just signing up with another HR tool, we’d recommend checking out PYPA HR. They’re an intelligent HR management software that’s currently under beta-testing and packs a whole lot of functionality that can be a true aid for small and medium businesses. You’re welcome!
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