How HR can turn The Great Resignation into The Great Retention

How many times have we heard about quiet quitting lately? Over the years, it has become the norm. Employees don’t want to drown in the dilemma of either working to live or living to work. This has resulted in so many employees disengaging from work quietly. Quiet quitting means just doing the bare minimum and not putting in any extra effort in one’s work or responsibilities.

In recent years, there has been an increasing rise in employees disengaging from their work responsibilities and their respective organisations. According to Gallup, 51% of employees are ‘not engaged,’ meaning they feel psychologically disconnected from their work and organisation, while 13% are actively disengaged.

There are many reasons for the rise in this phenomenon, but most quiet quitters disengage as a response to a workplace that does not care about their satisfaction. Look around your workplace. You will notice individuals who are fully engaged and those who are putting in minimal effort. Chances are that there are already quiet quitters in your office.

Employers are not only struggling with the crazy turnover, where replacing an employee can cost anywhere from half to twice the employee’s annual salary, but also decreased productivity, engagement, and morale because remaining staff must cover for those who leave.

Is there any end to the Great Resignation? HR and recruiters must first understand why employees are choosing to leave. Building trust between the company and its workforce is critical, and HR plays a key role in this process. With this in mind, here are some tips on how you can improve employee retention in your organisation:

1. Listen to your employees.

Start by listening to their concerns. Ask what they want from their employment experience. Perhaps you could start by asking about how their initial trust in the employer diminished over time after accepting the job offer. This can also help explore deeper connections that employees seek with their employer. Employees who feel acknowledged, valued, and heard tend to stay longer than those who feel overlooked.

• Create a positive work culture.

To create a positive work environment, it is essential to gain the support of the managers. It is important to remember that over the years, management issues have been a primary cause of quiet quitting. By promoting transparent communication, the relationships between employees and their managers can be enhanced. 1:1 meetings, active listening, and open-door policies are the way to go. However, sometimes additional training is required to ensure that managers are genuinely approachable and supportive.

• Support employee career growth.

Employees nowadays want to know whether working for your company will help them grow in their careers. Ask yourself if your organisation offers employees more than just a monthly salary. If there are no opportunities for growth, employees may become disinterested, quietly quit, or eventually leave. Offer prospects for professional and career advancement. This can include providing opportunities for cross-training, adjacent learning, upskilling, and even covering the cost of their coursework.

• Keep an eye on the employee’s well-being.

Burnout, stress, and work-related mental health issues are increasingly common. Make sure you address your employees’ well-being. Offer the Employee Assistance Program and other mental health-related benefits, such as counselling, meditation app subscriptions, and mental health breaks. Flexibility is another aspect that plays a crucial role in work-life balance and preventing burnouts. Provide employees with flexible work hours without compromising their personal lives.

Additionally, financial stress can also lead to burnouts and poor mental health. Look into providing financial advisory services, stipends for home office equipment, student loans, and travel expenses. When employees feel cared for, they tend to stay for longer periods of time.

• Hold Retention Interviews

Last but not least, hold employee retention interviews. This is one of the most effective strategies to retain the key talent. Hold conversations with your employees to understand what more they need to maintain job satisfaction. This allows you to address concerns and devise a retention plan collaboratively. Here are some of the questions you can ask:

• What aspects of your job do you find most enjoyable, and why?
• What would you change about your job to improve satisfaction?
• What factors might lead you to consider seeking a new job?
• Can you describe a recent experience where you felt particularly fulfilled or frustrated in your role?

Conclusion

To put an end to the Great Resignation, HR leaders need to deal with employee turnover by building a positive, inclusive, and flexible work environment that supports employees’ well-being and career goals. Many of the tips for retaining staff mentioned earlier are practical for businesses of all sizes and don’t require a lot of extra expense.

Struggling with Great Resignation yourself? With Talent Higher, let’s work together to make this the year of the Great Retention.