If you want to hang on to some of your most valuable employees throughout the “Great Resignation,” it’s crucial to not only reassess your company’s bottom-line goals, it’s also important to consider your top priorities and the engine that keeps business flowing: your people.
To keep your establishment on the right track and retain the support of dedicated employees who will stick by you in the days ahead, Forbes Human Resources Council members share their tips to encourage employee morale and loyalty, whether your company is exceeding its current quarterly goals or struggling to avoid a financial crisis.
Forbes Human Resources Council members weigh in.
Photo courtesy of individual members.1. Encourage Skill Building Beyond The Work Day
There are several ways that organizations can encourage employee retention during the "Great Resignation." Making sure that employees are engaged and connected, with developmental opportunities outside of work to enhance their skills, and providing them with rotational job assignments are a few strategies that will boost retention. - Cathy Neal, Bayer
2. Value Your Employees
In the U.S. alone, 15 million workers have quit their jobs since April and globally 69% of employers are unable to find talent. As hiring externally becomes difficult, companies’ attention shifts to talent retention. Surprisingly, the one reason why many workers leave is not poor pay but the lack of feeling valued. Managers need to learn how to value their employees. - Erik van Vulpen, AIHR | Academy to Innovate HR
3. Highlight Your Brand’s Authentic Values
In light of the “Great Resignation,” employers have had to reevaluate their talent attraction and retention strategies to draw the best and brightest to their organizations. Moving forward, employers will need to activate their brand and values in authentic ways and offer their employees meaningful experiences and professional growth opportunities to encourage loyalty. - Susan Tohyama, Ceridian
4. Offer A Flexible Work Environment
The positive impact of the “Great Resignation” is that employees are being heard for the first time on a massive scale. Simply put, they want their employers to be flexible with their personal needs and schedules even more now than ever before. For that reason, flexibility is the key to retention. Increase flexibility by offering options including remote work, shorter weeks and asynchronous meetings. - Mikaela Kiner, Reverb
5. Address Your Staff’s Practical Everyday Needs
In lots of ways, “The Great Resignation” should be called “The Great Reflection.” It’s a job seeker’s market and people want more money, flexibility, happiness and work-life balance. Going back to the office or working 9 to 5 (Does anyone actually work 9 to 5 anyway?) isn’t what people desire anymore. Listen to individual workers’ concerns and preferences and do something to address them. - Danny Speros, Zenefits
6. Listen, Then Apply Employee Feedback
Employees are stretched more than ever before. Business leaders need to encourage consistent two-way communication loops with employees to understand what initiatives should be prioritized. This can include tactics like frequent pulse surveys, town hall Q&A sessions or meaningful one-to-one meetings. Listening to employees’ needs and implementing feedback received demonstrates they are valued. - Natalie Baumgartner, Achievers
7. Reevaluate Your Leadership Approach
The power dynamic between employees and employers has shifted. To keep talent with more options than ever, two things need to change: managers and flexibility. Managers disproportionately impact the employee experience, so reskilling or replacing them at scale makes sense. Flexibility doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, so embrace that by subsidizing childcare for some, providing sabbaticals for others and so on. - Bontle Senne, Virgin Media UK
8. Compare Employee Work Output To Hours
Many employees were dissatisfied with their jobs prior to the pandemic. As the workforce transformed over the past year and a half, the “Great Resignation” resulted when workers decided to make a change. In order to retain employees, companies must be willing to change with the times by offering remote or hybrid work options, providing work-life balance and evaluating work output rather than hours worked. - John Feldmann, Insperity
9. Put Your People First
This is an opportunity for every organization to reflect on their employee value proposition. We all want to belong and connect to a purpose with a mission that resonates. Being intentional in designing an employee experience that is focused on a people-first culture will be the differentiator. Developing engagement through trust, safety, flexibility, inclusion, diversity and well-being at the heart is key. - Maria Miletic, Blue Prism Software
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
10. Resolve Any Job Dissatisfaction
Turnover will derail a company’s business plan goals because of many reasons. This may include loss of institutional knowledge or a key stakeholder relationship manager. Commonly, turnover causes the employees who are picking up the work that is left behind to burnout. Seek information from employees to find the root of the reason they are leaving. Explore opportunities to resolve an employee’s concerns quickly to try and retain the individual. - Jacqlyn Nedvin, Autism Speaks Inc.
11. Shift Employee Assignments
The Great Resignation is having a profound impact on organizational retention and attraction strategies. Companies can increase employee engagement by shifting responsibilities, providing stretch assignments or reflecting on and correcting their corporate culture to give employees the alignment between the role and values they seek. - Jennifer Rozon, McLean & Company
12. Elevate The Employee Experience
The Great Resignation is the result of a shift in the mindset of what people want out of their employers. They want to work for companies that align with their values and offer growth opportunities. As a result, organizations must prioritize elevating the employee experience. Genuinely listening to employees and acting upon what is learned will help with retention and attracting new talent. - Eva Majercsik, Genesys
13. Reinvent And Instill Resilience In The Workforce
The impact of the “Great Resignation” on an organization is huge. On the other hand, it's also a big opportunity for organizations to reinvent themselves and create a more resilient, committed workforce. Listening to their employees with empathy and creating a positive healthy work environment is key to success. - Soumyasanto Sen, People Conscience
