Action Step – GREAT RESIGNATION OR GREAT RETENTION: HOW YOUR POLICIES, PRACTICES & INFRASTRUCTURE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
As we emerge from the pandemic, the Great Resignation has been taking hold and impacting organizations around the globe. Many employees have faced stress and burn-out over the past year, trying to balance personal, family and work obligations around the clock without necessary support structures in place. Simultaneously, many employees gained more work-life control than they ever had during the pandemic, experiencing more regular dinners with family, being able to live in new places and have new adventures while working remotely, and spending more time with children and aging parents than ever before. These seemingly dichotomous experiences, stress/burn-out and increased work-life autonomy, has led many workers to leave their jobs, which has been coined the Great Resignation. However, every coin has two sides – resignations at one organization will lead to retention/recruiting benefits at another. To have the upper hand, organizations need to focus now more than ever on talent development, diversity, inclusion and flexibility. Here are the Alliance’s recommendations:
- Offer More Flexibility: Recent research studies during the pandemic have shown that employees have an increased desire for flexibility. A study in Harvard Business Review[1] sheds light on the desire for flexibility and autonomy – 59% indicated that flexibility is more important than salary/benefits and mentioned that they would not work for a company requiring them to be full-time onsite. Organizations need to revamp workplace flexibility policies and programs in order to recruit and retain the best talent.
[1] Reisinger, Holger and Fetterer, Dane, “Forget Flexibility. Your Employees Want Autonomy,” Harvard Business Review, 2021.
Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center
To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.
