👩🏻💻 What We're Getting Wrong About the Great Resignation
40% of recent job switchers are back to the job board...
🕵🏻♀️ Why are 40% of recent job switchers looking for another new job?
Because too many companies misinterpreted the great resignation.
Too many of us assumed that we could win the “war”(🤢) on talent by offering more money or better perks.
💡 More money and better perks do not address the problem with the work itself, and the design of the workplace. And they do not address what people want from the modern workplace: a purpose, to belong, to be heard, to add value, and to make an impact.
📼 Let’s rewind and remember the first shutdown in March of 2020:
Each day, the news gave us darker updates - new death counts, new symptoms, and new hygiene practices. Meanwhile, the majority of people were sitting at home with time to think:
The early career professional asked themselves “Why am I doing this? How does this help the world?”
The professional a few years away from retirement thought “Why am I waiting to retire? Life is so short.”
And many of our service workers thought “I’m not getting paid enough money to risk my life.”
As the world re-opened, all of these people from different places in their careers, different locations, and industries, decided “No, I don’t want what you’re offering.”
💵 We Default to What We Know
And companies and HR departments, faced with the need to hire people quickly did what they assumed would work - more money and better perks. And that isn’t a bad tactic when you are understaffed by 50%. When companies face historic staffing shortages they need to get creative, pay more, and throw everything including the kitchen sink to attract new hires.
But once people are in the door, your workplace is still your workplace, the work is still the work it was before and that jerk in operations is still going to berate your marketing team for not moving quick enough.
So it's not surprising to read that “40% of recent job switchers are again looking for a new position.” Many feel they signed up under false advertising, that companies sugar-coated the realities of their workplace and now there is some remorse on both sides.
🤝 Action: How Do We Retain Our People?
The short answer is to build workplaces that engage people in meaningful work. But how?
Build a purpose-driven organization (paywall)
Our world has evolved, has your workplace? Does your workplace support the life people are living today? In my experience, too many people are working in companies that enforce policies designed decades ago.
Be the change. There are thriving teams at every company and it's usually because they have a great team leader AND great teammates.
What I’m Listening/Reading/Watching This Week:
🎧 Second Life: Robin Arzon: VP and Head Instructor at Peloton. Yes, I’m basic, I love my Peloton and Robin is one of my favorite instructors. Outside of Peloton, her life story is fascinating and inspiring, I encourage you to check out this podcast to hear more about her background.
📰 “Incorrect Ideas About ‘Why We Work’ Warp Our Organizations...And Our Views of Human Nature.” This week’s newsletter is inspired by the article I linked to at the beginning and this interview with Barry Schwartz a professor of work (his job is my job in my alternate timeline).
📺 I am still reeling and speculating on the season one finale of Severance to the point where someone told me I need to move on...
“So you create a workplace where people show up only if they’re getting paid, and then you claim, “You see, I told you, the only reason people work is to get paid.” - Barry Schwartz