Combatting the Great Resignation

The last two years seem to have dragged on forever. We’ve tired of masks and political rhetoric around health concerns, and our clients have endured hardship and loss while fighting the economic effects of a pandemic. And now, it is difficult to retain the employees we fought to keep employed.  

Wasn’t it just yesterday that employee retention was as simple as free lunches and ping pong tables? Ha—I’ve promoted those ideas, too. They can be helpful in many ways still, but today’s battlefield of employee retention is brutally unforgiving and expensive, especially for our smaller business clients.

The current labor market is tight. Workers at all levels are reevaluating their lives – truly “re-valuing” how they spend their time. For those who exit the workforce or redirect their careers, the resignation improves their daily lives. Whether they are re-thinking family priorities or playtime, the shift is very real, and the loss to employers is significant. 

Employers must also rethink and re-imagine how to retain employees while meeting the needs of the business. We must understand what our employees value if we want to keep them invested in our business goals. 

1. Clear objectives. For employees, a clear path for growth is critically important in staying on with your organization. The bulk of today’s workforce is very willing to jump ship for the next best opportunity. To keep them on board, managers must develop opportunities that develop those individuals’ abilities and skill sets. When employees know that you prioritize their aspirations, they are more likely to stay. From cross-training to education options, delve into employee desires for improvement.
2. Use technology. Employees seek the ease the technology offers them. With a younger workforce, old ways of running a business are both archaic and unwelcome. From inventory to scheduling, small businesses that commit to high-quality hardware and software will retain employees longer.
3. Flex with the best. We address work schedule flexibility regularly. From diverse work schedules to employee-managed hours, workers want a voice in their hours. Understanding preferences allows managers to create schedules that satisfy employees and provide needed shift coverage. So get creative, and simplify your scheduling needs and employee demands.
4. Show appreciation. If you want to retain your employees, we will assume that they are good employees. But do they know that? From small incentives to public recognition, we all like to be appreciated when we do a good job. It is not difficult to demonstrate how much you appreciate your staff’s work in promoting your business success. Everyone likes a pat on the back, and it can go a long way in keeping employees on your team.
5. Mental health matters. The last long years have taken a toll on nearly everyone. Your employees have fought the fight alongside you, and they are battle-weary, too. It is time to emphasize mental health care and assistance programs if you have them. Even small organizations can improve ways for employees to navigate individual challenges.

Covid struck us with multiple challenges. From forced closures to PPP loans to resignations, we have all had to dodge incoming attacks on our business. Even after a prolonged war to stay open and staffed, we must remain creative to retain a workforce. A bit of “re-valuing” our employees will go a long way in winning the battle of employee retention so that we can all get back to work without the fear of losing staff.

Author Profile Jon Forknell is the Vice President and General Manager of Atlas Business Solutions, Inc., a software marketing company specializing in employee scheduling software, including ScheduleBase employee scheduling software, and other business software solutions. In the past, Jon has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. For many years, Atlas Business Solutions has been named one of Software Magazine’s Top 500 Software Companies.