If your workplace hasn’t been hit yet (or hit hard) by the Great Resignation, count yourself extremely lucky. Then, brace yourself — and your team — because it’s not over yet.
Record numbers of employees have quit their jobs over the past year, with 4.2 million saying “take this job and shove it” back in October and another 4.5 million hot on their heels in November. According to Bankrate’s August 2021 Job Seeker Survey, more than half of U.S. workers plan to look for a new job over the coming year.
Why are people quitting their jobs in droves? Many workers experienced a shift in values and priorities over the past year and half. All that time at home provided ample time for soul searching and insights. Some want to continue to work remotely after realizing they can do their job just as well from outside the office. Others want more flexible work hours so they can juggle responsibilities like childcare and virtual classes. Some simply leave in search of a higher salary.
Nearly every industry that experienced increasing demand during the pandemic is feeling the pain, with the tech space leading the pack. And to add insult to injury, the highest percentage of quitters fall in the 30 to 45 age group; when they leave, they’re taking their precious knowledge and expertise with them.
Whether you’re currently dealing with fallout from this phenomenon, or still waiting for the other shoe to drop, you don’t have to just sit idly by. Below are three strategies you can start implementing now to help cushion the blow when someone leaves — or help them change their mind altogether and stay put.
1. Assess your current work climate.
Before you can figure out how to keep your current employees happy where they are, you need to understand what issues, if any, are currently plaguing your team. Only then can you come up with a plan to make things better.
Take the time to have one-on-one conversations with each of your employees to figure out what is going well and what they are struggling with. Some employees won’t feel comfortable speaking their mind, so make it easy for them to share what they really think, as much as it might hurt to read, by filling out an anonymous survey. And don’t forget that exit interviews are just as important (check out this very candid exit interview on DemandGen Radio for some tips on how to get the most out of yours). People tend to be much more forthcoming when they already have one foot out the door.
2. Work a little harder to keep your team happy.
In addition to coming up with concrete ways to address your employees’ changing needs, such as offering more flexible working arrangements where possible, don’t forget the less tangible reasons people enjoy working for a company: the people and the culture. And that truly starts with promoting a positive work environment from the top down. We get it. It’s been a challenging couple of years. But that means it’s more important than ever to get it right. After all, they say that employees leave managers, not companies. Learn more about positive leadership and how it can have a big impact on employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
The increase in remote work also means you have to get more creative when it comes to connecting virtually and boosting morale. The good news is that there are plenty of great suggestions already out there. Check out this article on top team building activities for inspiration. Need to inject some energy back into your group? Schedule one of these fun virtual icebreaker activities, games, and ideas to shake things up a bit. Now is a good time to dust off and spruce up your employee retention programs to better reflect changing expectations. And don’t forget employee training and development. If you don’t foster your employees’ growth, they’ll find someone who will.
3. Prepare for the possibility of team changes.
Unfortunately, some things are simply out of your control. Despite your best efforts, a job just might not be a great fit or an employee may need to move on for personal reasons. Just make sure you are looking out for those who stay and help ensure that any transitions are as smooth as possible.
First, make sure you are frequently keeping in touch with your team through weekly team meetings and one on ones so that everyone has an understanding of what others are working on. Then make sure your team documents all current processes. That way if someone leaves, someone else can quickly take over — without having to figure out how to reinvent the wheel. (Check out our article about how to write documentation that anyone can understand.) Along those same lines, cross-train as much as possible. Have your employees train each other on current processes and store all documentation on a shared drive that everyone can access. Taking just a couple of weeks to focus on cross-training can save you much more than that in lost productivity if someone leaves and takes that knowledge with them.
Next, ensure that one person doesn’t have the sole key to any of your proverbial kingdoms. As marketers, we rely on several MarTech tools and platforms to do our jobs. If only one user has access to a particular platform, make sure you also setup other team members in that system. At the very least, make sure the login and password information is shared. If any of those logins require two-factor authentication, ensure the system is setup to send a verification code to a shared email alias. Speaking of which, if you’re using any alias email addresses, such as info@yourcompany.com, make sure that multiple team members are setup to receive any inbound messages. That way, if the point person resigns, emails to that address won’t fall into a black hole. And make sure you continue to update the distribution list as new members come onboard.
Last but not least, prepare solid onboarding materials for potential new hires. As the saying goes, “When one door closes, another opens.” Make sure your new hires are setup for success with a smooth onboarding process. Create a new hire checklist, lay out expectations and goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days, and connect your new hires with mentors and resources within the company.
Enlist some outside support
Of course, all of this takes time and the work still needs to get done. Consider bringing on a partner to help lighten the load. Our experienced consultants deliver a wide array of services that help bridge the gap between creativity, strategy, and execution. Whether you need help bringing on new MarTech, strengthening your demand generation efforts, executing your campaigns, or freshening up your data, we can help you master evolving technologies and processes to achieve maximum results. Let us know how we can help.
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