THE GREAT RESIGNATION:
4 TIPS TO HELP RETAIN AND ATTRACT TALENT
AS WE NAVIGATE THIS REALITY
The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that describes record numbers of people leaving their jobs after the impacts of Covid-19. Companies have been navigating the ripple effect of the pandemic and re-evaluating how to not only retain employees but also attract new talent. Here are 4 tips to help retain and attract talent as we navigate this reality.
EMPLOYEE’S
POV
Beginning in 2021, partially in part to Covid and inflation, people began voluntarily resigning from their jobs in mass amounts. There are a lot of factors that play into this change, but it has left us wondering, what does this mean for the future of the office and how do we need to adapt to stay relevant and retain talent.
There is no denying living through a pandemic has caused many people to assess their life, their values, and how they spend their time. The average American spends ⅓ of their life at work. That is a staggering amount of time - approx. 90,000 hours! Many people are looking at the amount of time they spend in the office and starting to think, ‘why would I spend my time in an environment that doesn’t improve my quality of life?’.
This introspection has pushed people to the point where they are leaving behind workplaces that don’t benefit them either financially or mentally. In turn, employers are finding it incredibly hard to find good, reliable workers, pushing management to take a hard look at their company policy, culture, and the work environment they offer.
A survey from Hays, a global recruitment firm, found 71% of US employees are willing to take a pay cut for their ideal job. Demonstrating that salary, although normally a major driving factor, is not the only thing Management should be considering.
1| ADOPT AND ADAPT
Life and work are changing as we know it. When we acknowledged that we didn’t have all the answers, we also realized the solution—creating spaces that could adapt as our needs, both individually and as an organization, shifted. Finding flexibility through Soft Architecture, removing the boundaries that lock us into fixed situations, and fostering agile spaces that move along with our evolving needs is crucial to the success of our workplaces. -OFS
Introducing different seating types and areas to accommodate different work styles can help employees who have been used to working-from-home be more productive in the office. Instead of having assigned seats, offer different places for your employees to go to get work done. Add an outdoor seating area, cafe seating, lounge seating, or some collaboration areas that will mimic the work styles employees have gotten used to at home. (Check out these examples of shared-space commercial lounge furniture!)
In a research study conducted by MillerKnoll named The Case for a Thriving Workplace, information collected suggests that remote work will continue to play a significant role beyond the pandemic and that there will be a major shift away from individual office workspaces towards providing more collaborative meeting spaces, outdoor spaces, and social areas with an emphasis on people-focused environments. It is expected that the average percentage of unassigned workspaces will more than double, while the percentage of assigned workspaces will drop by a third. This means that space reservation and occupancy-sensing technologies will become more important for supporting a highly mobile workforce. Use of shared/coworking spaces and “space-as-a-service” will also grow, as organizations look to reduce their managed workspace footprint and increase future flexibility. - Tradeline
Adopting these trends and adapting to the new use of the office is crucial in employee retention and attracting new talent. Companies must be open to these new ideas and work styles in which employees are searching for.
2| WORK-LIFE BALANCE:
OFFER A HYBRID SCHEDULE
Adding spaces within the office that help promote a healthy company culture or introducing a hybrid work plan where employees can work from the comfort of their own homes may help retain employees. (Read more on how to implement a hybrid schedule here.)
Creating a balance between your work life and your personal life is not only key to your health and happiness, but it also plays a big role in your productivity. Without creating balance, many people easily become burnt out. Working from home offered millions of Americans the ability to restructure their day, from taking the dog on a walk during a lunch break to throwing in a load of laundry between conference calls. While working from home, it is easier to balance the stress that comes along with employees' ‘to-do’ lists when they get home from their 9-5, because, well, they are already home. Fifty-four percent of office workers would leave their job if they could have one with more flexibility. (You can read more about this in our blog, “How to Create a Better Workplace Post-Pandemic”)
Hybrid working is becoming expected, rather than a nice-to-have perk. In a recent Talent Index survey conducted by Beamery, “flexible working” was among the top three reasons people would stay with their company. With the shift to home working, people now work in a much more varied style, and it’s up to companies to find ways of accommodating this shift. Now, the key differentiator is companies that can excel in a remote-first, flexible environment. Asynchronous working can be key here, propounding the idea of people getting tasks done, rather than being at their desks at the same time as colleagues. - Beamery
3| EMPOWER YOUR EMPLOYEES:
REVISIT YOUR TALENT STRATEGY
Many employees are looking to change jobs, but 74% believe they can find that new role with their current employer – so getting your engagement and retention strategies right is key. If your employees feel included in the company culture, and can clearly see their growth and progression opportunities in the business, they’re more likely to stay when looking for their next challenge.
You need a talent strategy that encompasses the whole talent lifecycle from hiring to development and beyond, and creates clear paths along which your talent can travel to learn new skills, move into different roles, and play to their strengths within your business.
Building an effective engagement and retention strategy gives you an engaged and motivated workforce – rather than dissatisfied workers looking for the exit – with major impacts on productivity, growth targets and well-being. -Beamery
4| USE YOUR RESOURCES:
LISTEN TO YOUR EMPLOYEES & TAKE ACTION!
The best resource to find out what your employees want is themselves. Talk to your HR team to know what issues they’re dealing with to help plan better spaces and strategies. Listen to what they have to say about all aspects of what is important to them:
Hybrid work
Learning and development
Mental health, well-being, and safety
Community, connection, culture
Make sure to ask questions. Send out surveys or place a suggestion box in a common area of the office. Let your employees voice their concerns and make sure to take action on not only what is common among them, but also feasible and beneficial for both the employee and the company.
Place shapes behavior and behavior over time becomes culture. Make sure you are providing a workplace that promotes productivity and supports employee development and growth. If you’re looking for a fresh and engaging office space that will help attract and retain talent, reach out to us at design@studio-smc.com or fill out our contact form here. We’d love the opportunity to work together!