Employees are planning to quit post-COVID. What can you do about it? Many employees burnt out from the COVID-19 pandemic are looking to leave their employers. How can workforces keep their top talent?
The return of in-person work has ramped up across the country, following the national vaccine rollout. However a new problem is on the horizon: An estimated 1 in 4 workers plans to quit their job once the pandemic ends, according to Prudential Financial’s Pulse of The American Worker survey from March 2021.
Considering the challenges of working at home during the pandemic and the increasing reports of burnout, news of an employee mass-exit may not seem surprising. If organizations want to keep their strongest team members happy and in-place, it’s important to understand why so many employees are planning a post-COVID career change.
Here’s why more employees are planning to quit post-COVID and what you can do to avoid the wrong end of the potential mass-exit.
Flexibility is here to stay.
Working from home has been an adjustment for many teams, but not one without its silver linings. Remote work offers employees a sense of agency over their schedule and flexibility in their lives, something that has been sorely needed in the uncertain early days of the pandemic. And employees are taking notice. In fact, according to the same Prudential Financial survey, 68 percent of employees agreed that a hybrid workplace model is the best fit.
What’s more, a lack of flexibility could directly contribute to employees quitting post-COVID. The survey also highlighted that 42 percent of respondents said that if their company doesn’t offer long-term remote options then they will look for a company that does. When so much of life is out of your workforce’s hands, a hybrid workplace might just be essential to employee wellness.
Employees fear the pandemic has erased upward mobility.
After a year at home, many employees are asking themselves if their personal career growth can be still achieved in their current environment. The Prudential Financial survey revealed that of the respondents planning to quit after the COVID-19 pandemic, 80 percent expressed concerned about career growth.
So, what are some ways to improve your company’s internal mobility? For one, consider your current employees for new positions before new hires. If you can reward an individual’s hard work by promoting them, you’re building loyalty and long-term sustainability. Other strategies to consider are investing in external workshops to support the upskilling of your employees, or creating a system of internal mentoring that places value on mutual feedback between peers and managers.
Isolation leads to disconnection.
According to the Prudential Financial survey, another major factor for the large number of employees on the move is a lack of connection with coworkers. In fact, 42% of workers planning to leave post-pandemic gave their employers a “C” grade for ability to maintain company connectedness during COVID-19. To learn some strategies to improve employee culture and engagement check out our previous articles on the subject.
The pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone and many folks are seeking change. The thing is, for many companies that change can come from within.
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