The Great Resignation has become a buzzword used in appraisal meetings and 1-on-1 with managers primarily as leverage. If this will have a lasting effect on how work is viewed is yet to be seen but the concept presents us with the opportunity to look at how this generation views work and what they expect from it.
For those living under the rock, The Great Resignation is the phenomenon of employees quitting in huge flocks in companies that are slowly resuming work from office. This is intriguing because this is happening parallel to some of the highest unemployment rates caused by COVID-19. And in most cases of resignation, there are no explicit or direct reasons to quit the job.
While there are causes of COVID-19 concern that are causing a few people to quit, for the majority the decision has been driven by self-reflection that the COVID-19 lockdowns presented. When removed from the office setup that comes along with the necessary distractions like coffee breaks and team hangouts, what the job was actually giving them became crystal clear for the-great-resignation gang.
Getting paid a decent amount or getting recognized once a year was no longer sufficient. Doing work that matters, getting better at it every day and being recognized and rewarded for it became the key decision parameters that nudged them towards leaving the safe, secure job that they had held on to for years.
Nobody knows yet as to whether the great resignation will continue as a trend but the intrinsic trait of the new generation of employees that drove the great resignation is not going anywhere. To attract and retain talent, companies will not only have to provide them the platform to do work that matters but also helps them get better. Play the role of a mentor rather than supervisor, be a Yoda rather than Darth Vader.
This calls for companies to rethink the way they handle employee performance and motivation. A conventional approach to these 2 key tenets will allow for this trend to continue. Grug adopts an agile approach to employee performance management and motivation that is designed for this new crop of the workforce that all the companies are fighting for.