If you’re struggling to attract and keep the right people, you don’t have a retention problem. You have an organizational culture problem.
People are leaving their current jobs in record numbers. Over 40% of the working population switched jobs this year. That leaves many industries scrambling to fill their open positions and figure out how to solve their retention issue.
Is your organization feeling the effects of The Great Resignation?
According to a recent article by NPR, “The pandemic led to the worst U.S. recession in history, and millions of people are still out of jobs. Yet employers are now complaining about acute labor shortages.“
September polls showed there are 10 million job openings and more than 8.4 million unemployed, stating they are actively looking for work.
What are reasons behind The Great Resignation?
Authors Tom Peters and Nancy Austin, in their book A Passion for Excellence: The Leadership Difference wrote the number one issue in America is managers are out of touch with their people and their customers.
Through the pandemic, the work force has decided to shift where and how they work. They’ve reevaluated their priorities and how work fits into their lives. The reassessment is affecting our labor markets.
The pandemic disruption and stresses placed on your staff and organization has caused a disconnect in communication and team cohesiveness. Your organization has been in survival mode for far too long. You and your team have been stretched thin. Something must change.
People Don’t Quit Organizations. They Quit People.
More than ever, people want to feel they matter. Your staff wants to know they are valued and be shown their contributions to the organization make a difference.
Like it or not, the pandemic has placed a strain on the culture of your organization. What worked to motivate your staff in the past may not work now. People’s mindsets have changed with pandemic shutdowns. Make sure you update your ideas and culture too.
How To Stop the Great Resignation in Your Organization
People have recognized that work is no longer just about paying the bills. They want work that is important to them, and they want the workplace to value them.
Recognize that there is a gap in where your organization is and where you want your organization to be.
- Are your employees happy?
- Do people outside of the organization envy your company’s culture?
Now is the time to close the gap in your company’s culture problem and work toward starting The Great Retention Movement.
John Maxwell’s book Everyone Communicates Few Connect shares the secret to employee retention. With these five tips, you can attract and keep the right people for your business.
- Find common ground
Start building your connection with common values and beliefs. Search for signals, listen, engage, and be honest. - Keep things simple
Colin Powell once stated that great leaders are great simplifiers. Simplifying is a great way to cut through debates and doubts and offer a solution everyone can understand. - Create an enjoyable experience
Customers want an enjoyable experience when interacting your company but so do your employees. Everyone enjoys an experience that centers around them. This makes them feel valued and will build a strong connection. - Inspire others
Inspiring people happens when they realize you understand them. Your focus is on them and how to help. That’s inspiring! - Live out what you say
Words just are not enough. You must follow through with what you say. I could tell you I care about you and your need to more family time, but if I keep adding to your workload, then my words and actions are not lining up. In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say.
Work Toward the Great Retention Movement
If your retention rate is low, it could be a sign that your team is leaving the culture in your organization.
This means you don’t have a retention issue; you have a culture problem. Retention is the result of a desirable organizational culture. Making a cultural transformation to retain employees and increase productivity is not an overnight process. It does, however, happen with intentional assessment, planning, and implementation.
There are great tools available to assess where your organization could use a cultural tune-up.
Schedule a call to see if having your team participate in my 2-hour Interactive Team Culture Experience is the right next step for your organization.
