As COVID-19 and the pandemic continue to reshape how we work and play, a new term enters our vocabulary, “the great resignation.” You’ve likely heard about the difficulty of holding onto current employees and recruiting new employees for most businesses. Small businesses, especially, are short-handed, making life difficult for them and customers alike.
I’ve experienced this directly with veterinary care. I’m looking at standing in line tomorrow morning at a walk-in vet clinic to get stitches removed from my dog. I can’t get an appointment with his regular vet, and the emergency vet is overwhelmed with cases.
Why the worker exodus? Lots of jobs available and lots of unhappy workers. Employees, drained due to the ongoing pandemic, are evaluating their career and life goals.
How can a business attract new talent? Experts recommend improved wages and flexibility, including remote work. Focus on skills rather than industry expertise. If an employee is skilled, they’ll learn your industry quirks quickly.
How can you keep employees? Cultivate good leaders and managers as most workers leave a company due to their manager, not the company. Being a jerk is not a management style that keeps employees around. Understanding and assistance do.
Employee experience rises to the top as a make-or-break for keeping good employees and attracting new ones. Ways to strengthen your employee experience include opening dialogue immediately with employees if you sense discontent, using mentors to shepherd new employees, and encouraging lateral moves so employees can grow and learn.
Author: Kris Keppeler, a writer who finds technology fascinating and loves humor. She writes for Crossing Genres on Medium.com and Does This Happen to You? on Channillo. Award-winning podcast producer who enjoys telling stories. Follow her @KrisKKAria on Twitter or on LinkedIn.
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