Article By So-Young Kang
Consumer sentiments are at an all-time low—the lowest in 10 years, to be exact, at 66.8. At the same time, the number of workers quitting their jobs in November 2021 has hit a new record of 4.43 million resigning from their positions, part of what some have coined “The Great Resignation“.
As we start towards recovering from the pandemic, many employees are choosing to move on. Whether they were unhappy, burnt out, or in search of better opportunities or passions, they deemed it best to quit their current positions.
Closer to home, 56% of Singaporean employees are expecting to find a new job in 2021, according to a Michael Page Talent Report. Though there are many possible reasons for them to go for new opportunities, the key reasons often brought up were growth opportunities, pay and benefits, environments better suited for their skills and employers who looked after their well-being. However, the standout reason for leaving their positions was a lack of growth opportunities within their current gigs. For many, the pandemic has exacerbated poor relationships with their leaders and has given them some food for thought on what they wanted in a job.
As the adage goes, “A company is only as good as its employees”, businesses need to pay attention to the plight of their employees and address possible areas of concern.
The dynamics have shifted since ‘The Great Resignation’
Employees who left to pursue seemingly better pastures were often deemed to be brave. They were blazing the trail for their peers to escape the confines of their current positions and to partake in something new.
The highest rate of resignations was among mid-level employees, contrary to the notion of younger employees having the highest turnover.
And while many have been able to leave their positions, a substantial amount of employees have opted to stay put. Not because they were delighted with their jobs and were instead carrying similar feelings of unhappiness and burnout, but because they could not leave. Whether they were uncertain about better opportunities, were loyal to their employers or simply afraid of losing financial stability offered by their existing position, they stayed put. As such, they became ‘The Working Dead’ – the depressed, unmotivated employees who watched as their colleagues left in a’ resignation tsunami’.
According to a report by Perceptyx, one in three workers goes about their days “hopeless, aimless, and dispirited”. And those who are feeling negativity within their jobs are 44 times less likely to recommend the company, hopeless about the company’s climate, and drifting through their work in a constant state of frustration. Additionally, only 18% feel a strong sense of accomplishment at work, with many disconnected employees stating they could not engage with what they were working on.
What does it all mean? It means that there’s serious discontent brewing within the workspace and that employers should pay closer attention to those that didn’t move on. After all, an unmotivated, frustrated, and disengaged employee could cause problems for the company’s overall future.
To successfully retain and engage the Working Dead and keep them happy and satisfied with their current positions, leaders need to evaluate the conditions for the group left behind instead of those leaving. In a bid to keep up with all the new skills to support the digital transformation, tech expansion and business growth in these turbulent times, upskilling has shifted to the forefront of every organisation’s strategy. How can employers ensure their workforce is equipped with the right skills to lead this change? How can they win their workers back, engaging them and simultaneously meeting their expectations? What can they do so that their employees don’t check out of their work- going about their duties like a zombie- and keeping them motivated and engaged? What needs to change in their workplace?
Employees want career advancement
As mentioned earlier, one of the main reasons people choose to quit their current jobs is a lack of growth opportunities.
Now, more than ever, employees want an opportunity to learn and grow at work. They want to pick up new skills and knowledge, to develop and hone their skillsets and what they can do. 94% of them are willing to stay at the company for longer just for that reason. The employer’s responsibility is to give that to them.
By providing their employees with growth opportunities, it’s actually a win-win situation on both sides. Employees benefit from the upskilling courses and programmes their company supports them for, thus developing their knowledge, and organisations are able to gain more skilled employees without forking the expensive cost of new hires.
The onus then lies with the employers and companies to find robust upskilling programmes that are efficient and would address their needs along with their employees.
Addressing Workplace Challenges
In the modern workplace, remote work is part and parcel of an employee’s present routine. Spending copious hours being virtually present at work, away from colleagues and the social office often leads to feelings of loneliness and fatigue.
Admittedly, remote work certainly has its advantages. Particularly in eliminating time spent commuting. However, the extra time gained is nothing compared to the misery and loneliness that settles in as a consequence.
The thing is, remote work isn’t going anywhere. Even post-pandemic and in post-lockdown times, most companies have expressed their plans to allow for teleworking and flexible office practices. As such, any work activities and plans for programmes such as upskilling would need to be rewired to suit and accommodate the remote worker.
In a time where time is of the essence and most employees struggle with having enough time for all that needs to be done in the day, upskilling programmes could be integrated into their routines as bite-sized content of about 10 minutes a day. Microlearning allows them the flexibility to work it into their schedules while ensuring they continue to develop their skills. It is also good for on-the-job training as employees are tasked with small activities for them to complete and to put into practice what was learnt.
In the end, learning needs to be a social experience, beyond technology. Digital programmes and courses that employers roll out to their workers should be more than just ticking off the delivery of lessons and information. In an employee’s journey to personal and career development, they should be empowered to grasp more than theoretical knowledge.
We still don’t know how workplaces post-pandemic will look like. We can be sure that how we approach work and working together will be unlikely to return to how it was before the pandemic.
As companies continue to try to retain and engage their employees so that they don’t jump ship, the pandemic has driven home the fact that it’s not always just about the pay to ensure employee satisfaction. Instead, organisations should reimagine the employee experience, listening and providing for the needs of their workers to prevent them from turning into ‘the working dead’. And if that starts with providing them with the opportunity to grow and develop themselves, then so be it.
So-Young Kang is the founder and CEO of Gnowbe
