Keynote/TEDx Speaker, CEO of Qualigence International, entrepreneur and investor. Helping companies identify, select and develop talent.
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It’s tough to admit, but it’s true: The pandemic didn’t cause the Great Resignation. Most businesses were dealing with turnover before Covid-19 hit.
The pandemic definitely accelerated the trend—but it’s not the root cause. According to the Harvard Business Review, the "average monthly quit rate increased by 0.10 percentage points each year" from 2009 to 2019. It might not sound like much, but it shows the trend goes back a lot farther than most people think.
So what are the real causes of the Great Resignation, and what can employers do about them?
The Real Reasons Behind The Great Resignation
The Pew Research Center recently surveyed over 900 adults who left a job by choice in 2021. They found three main reasons why people left their jobs:
1. Their pay was too low.
2. There weren't opportunities for advancement.
3. They felt disrespected at work.
The first reason has a relatively easy solution. If you want to retain good people, you need to offer competitive compensation. You don’t have to be the highest bidder, but you do need to be competitive. Keep in mind that sometimes “pay was too low” means “pay was too low to put up with all the nonsense.”
The other two are more challenging, so let’s dig into some solutions.
Understanding What Your Team Really Wants From Advancement
When you typically think of “no room for advancement,” you think of a job where someone is stagnant and has no opportunity to earn a promotion. Promotions are a great way for someone to advance their career, but they’re not the only way. In fact, for many people, that’s not even what they are looking for. Some people want to lead teams, but others would rather advance their careers in other ways.
For example, one employee might simply be interested in earning more money. They could earn raises without promotions by taking on new responsibilities and excelling in their role. Another team member might prefer to grow their functional experience and learn new skills to add to their résumé.
So if you’re serious about improving this aspect of the employee experience, it starts with understanding what your people really want—and then brainstorming ways to meet this as best you can. Just because you can’t offer every team member a promotion doesn’t mean you can’t help them advance their career or offer opportunities for them to work toward.
Building Teams That 'Click'
It’s relatively easy to make teams feel respected. It’s unfortunate that a lot of businesses struggle here, but if you’re reading this article, you probably already make it a point to treat teams with respect.
However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you're serious about retaining your best people, you need to go a step further. You need to learn how to make your teams feel like they’re not only respected but truly supported and “click” with the rest of the team. What does that look like in practice?
It starts with HR and team leaders working together to understand some key details about their teams. What drives your people? What positions will leave someone feeling satisfied and eager to deliver more results, and which areas of work will leave them feeling drained? Once we understand this, we can help pair people with jobs and responsibilities where we know they’ll feel at home and thrive long-term.
Furthermore, what is each team member’s communication style? For example, what’s the best way to deliver feedback to each of them? Adapting your communication style to each team member’s needs goes a long way toward making someone feel like they fit in and belong on a team.
Last but not least, you must empower leaders to be able to understand all of the above and lead their people accordingly. Great leadership is all about understanding your people and acting accordingly.
It’s Bigger Than Turnover
When you do all of the above, you’re not just alleviating turnover. You’re creating an environment where people are more engaged than ever before. You’re helping your teams feel more connected to their leaders, their co-workers and the work at hand. Teams drive phenomenal results for clients, boosting revenue and putting you closer to achieving your goals.
In brief, if you implement real solutions for turnover, you’re not just retaining your best people. You’re building the foundation for a stronger business.
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