combating the Great Resignation’s primary cause

The “Great Resignation” has been a buzz word we have all talked about now for the past several months and it doesn’t seem to be going away. According to recent data from the BLS, the Great Resignation peaked in September when 4.4 million workers left their jobs.

But why did the Great Resignation happen? Is it because employees want more flexibility in their work/life balance than what their current employer provides? Is it a desire to work from home full-time but a lack of availability of that option? Was it being stuck at home that made people realize they wanted a change in careers when the job market was better? It includes everything mentioned above and more.

The fall 2021 Hiring Report released by Monster though indicates that burnout is the #1 reason employees are quitting their jobs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, mental health has grown to be a major issue. Many employees feel like they are “always on” and work longer hours when at home. A feeling of isolation is also present. Consequently, more employees feel lonely and cut off from their coworkers because there is less camaraderie and social interaction at work. Feeling exhausted can be caused by a variety of factors, but not just these. Even more strikingly, a springtime Indeed survey revealed that more than half of workers claimed to be burned out.

But exactly what is burnout in the workplace? Burnout is characterized by three main characteristics: exhaustion, cynicism (less identification with the job), and feelings of diminished professional ability. Verywell Mind defines burnout as a response to prolonged or chronic job stress.

Signs and symptoms of employee burnout that Verywell Mind reports include:

• Alienation from work-related activities: People think their jobs are frustrating and stressful. They might also start to have cynical attitudes toward both the people they work with and the work they do.
• Physical symptoms: This may involve discomfort with the head, the stomach, or the intestines.
• Emotional exhaustion: People are worn out and exhausted. To finish their work, they lack the necessary energy.
• Reduced performance: Both at work and at home, it may have an impact on routine tasks. They lack motivation for their work and find it difficult to focus. Additionally, they lack imagination.
• Depression: Feelings of hopelessness, along with cognitive and physical symptoms, are characteristics of employee burnout that resemble those of depression.

As we can see, it’s critical to combat employee burnout for both the mental health of workers as well as job resignation reasons. Some may even say that the Great Resignation is causing more employees to burnout due to hiring needs because of the In some circumstances, this trickle-down effect is probably very true, says Great Resignation. What steps can we take to stop the Great Resignation? What can we do to stop our employees from quitting? To prevent burnout, one place to start is by spending time and money on your employees. We’ll look at eight ways to keep employees content and working for your business in this blog.

1. Check-In with Employees

To see how your staff is doing, have regular check-in meetings. Managers can use it to gauge how their team members are doing and determine whether they are feeling stressed out due to their current workload. These meetings are most likely one of the best places to look for burnout among employees. Additionally, it gives employers a chance to speak with each employee individually and discuss ways to support those who are starting to feel burned out.

Discussions about the company’s goals with employees can also take place during check-in meetings. Harvard Business Review suggests asking employees, “if they could shape their dream job at your company, what would it be?” This gives staff members a chance to discuss the direction they want to take, and it also enables you to start planning how to mold this role for them. Knowing that you are considering providing long-term growth opportunities for them at your business inspires employees as well.

Additionally, employees enjoy feeling important and having a positive impact on the business they work for. Make sure to acknowledge their work and the value they are bringing during your check-in meetings. Employees want to feel like they contribute to the company.

Things to consider:

• You might want to hold some of your check-in meetings elsewhere, like at a coffee shop. Meeting outside the office to have some of these conversations is a way to talk in a casual, open setting. Depending on how frequently you meet, you might not do this every time. Furthermore, it is an affordable way to treat a worker to a night out.
• Consider holding weekly 15-minute meetings, managers. Jennifer Moss, author of the new book, “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It,” suggests holding short 15-minute weekly meetings. The highs and lows of the week can be discussed in these meetings, as well as what managers can do to make things easier the following week. It’s a quick task that can boost productivity and mental health. To best evaluate an employee’s performance, Jennifer added that specific questions should be asked. Her research found that an average person says they are “fine” 14 times a week when they are asked how they are doing; 19% of the time they are lying.

2. Monitor Workloads

Managers need to keep an eye on workloads to make sure nobody is carrying an excessive load. At certain times of the year, workloads might increase, but managers should watch out that employees aren’t put under a lot of pressure all year long. Consider the workloads of your employees and look for ways to reduce them. Keep an eye on your objectives and expectations as well. Make sure the objectives you set are realistic so that nobody has to put in excessive effort to reach them. Achievable goals are necessary.

3. Provide Mental Health Support

Employers can help employees with their mental health in a number of ways. One way to do this is by offering mental health days. It enables staff members to take the necessary time off for self-care. If they aren’t already provided at your company, mental health days might be something to think about implementing in 2022.

Also worth looking into as an addition to your benefits package are employee assistance programs that provide wellness counseling. If you’re not sure if your health insurance covers counseling and wellness programs, you might want to look into it since some healthcare providers already include those services in their health insurance. Share this information with staff members if it is a part of your insurance so they are aware of it’s availability.

You might also consider hiring a wellness coach who can provide employees with advice on good mental health practices a few times a year. This is a good chance for a class lunch and study session. Even group wellness activities like yoga, painting, hiring a masseuse, etc., can be thought of for the lunch hour.

Last but not least, if staff members are feeling overworked or stuck on a project, encourage them to take a break. They can unwind and return with a clear head with the help of a quick walk or snack break.

4. Employees are surveyed to compare working from home vs. in the Office

There are benefits and drawbacks to working from home versus going into the office. According to a recent Bankrate survey, 56% of workers preferred flexible work schedules or remote work. The Great Resignation has also benefited from the option of working from home. However, there are also genuine issues with socialization and isolation from coworkers. Buffer’s survey on the state of remote work in 2021 found that 16% of participants experienced problems with collaboration and 16% felt lonely while working from home. Is hybrid the miracle cure? Since the hybrid work schedule offers the best of both worlds, in my personal experience, it seems that many people prefer it. Consider conducting a survey among your staff to determine the preferred option in order to determine what is best for your company. The survey will reveal information about the schedule that would satisfy your employees the most.

5. Promote Office Camaraderie and Connection

It’s also crucial to carve out time for team members to interact and develop relationships. This can be related to the earlier discussion of working from home. It’s crucial to foster an environment where people can get to know one another whether you have employees who work in the office, from home, or on a hybrid schedule. According to Harvard Business Review, their COVID-Era survey data showed that both blue and white collar workers around the world place a higher priority on having a “good relationship with co-workers” than on many other job attributes.

Virtual events, like team trivia or virtual happy hours, can be held in lieu of in-person gatherings if necessary. You can even take online classes to learn how to mix drinks or cook. Office camaraderie benefits from anything that can bring the team together for a good time. Although social gatherings held in person are unquestionably the best way for employees to get to know one another, virtual events are a good fallback if in-person gatherings are not feasible.

6. Encourage Work-Life Balance

Although most employees likely have always valued work-life balance, it is now playing a bigger role in whether or not employees choose to work for a particular organization. Encouragement to take vacation time is a best practice, particularly as the year comes to a close and employees still have vacation time available. This enables you to show employees that you are concerned about their wellbeing and that you want them to be able to take time off.

A good practice is to close the office as early as possible for holidays. This serves to emphasize the value of spending time with family, especially during the holidays. To accommodate for family or religious events, it’s also critical to offer flexible schedules. Allowing someone to attend to significant personal events during the workday is welcome if they have a personal obligation.

Finally, some businesses even allow employees to start and end work at any time as long as they put in 8 hours a day. This creates a more flexible schedule. Why not give them permission if they put in the same number of hours of work but are more productive by starting earlier or staying later?

7. Upskill Employees

Employers can gain a lot from the practice of upskilling employees. Employee retention can be aided by helping them increase job satisfaction (while preventing burnout). For the business, it also has financial advantages.

Though, exactly what is upskilling? A new level of expertise and knowledge in a particular field is being attained, claims AG5. Rather than hiring new people, it’s a chance to advance existing staff members and support their development.

According to Monster’s Fall 2021 Hiring Report, skills training would increase the likelihood that 45% of employees would stay with their employer. Employees, particularly those who have been in the same role for a while, can enjoy a brand-new, exciting experience. This gives them the chance to take on a new role at your company rather than looking for a different job. Financially, a Gallup survey indicates that it can cost up to two times the employee’s yearly salary to replace a single employee. When you consider the costs associated with hiring a new employee, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and other costs, this is probably very true. It’s possible that person’s starting pay will exceed that of an internal promotion.

8. Provide Management Training

It might be a good idea to offer new managers management training as well. In terms of employee engagement and retention, managers are essential. According to a Randstad study, 60% of respondents said they had quit their jobs or planned to do so because of bad managers, while 58% said they would accept a lower salary in exchange for a job with a better manager.

Employees under the control of ineffective managers may become stressed and quit. Managers can learn the best practices for managing employees by attending management training. They need to have the abilities to set reasonable expectations, communicate clearly and effectively, give appropriate feedback, acknowledge employees’ accomplishments, and delegate work. The company culture and employee morale can be greatly impacted by great managers!

The Beginning of the End of the Great Resignation

The eight strategies to prevent employee burnout were just thoroughly discussed. Employee burnout is a very real issue that has gotten worse since the pandemic. However, it is one area that employers can work to control to stop further resignations. While maintaining a healthy and happy workforce is undoubtedly a good place to start, it may not be the only solution to end the Great Resignation.