The wait is over. I have been waiting for over a year now for surveys on the Great Resignation movement, and those surveys are now starting to trickle in.
According to a recent survey by Joblist, about 26% of people who quit their job during what was dubbed the Great Resignation already regret it.
Additionally, 42% of people who found a new job after quitting said the new gig didn't live up to their expectations.Â
The fact that workers regret quitting during the Great Resignation underscores a more significant issue: worker needs are not getting met.Â
Not only is this a sign that the Great Regret is happening but also that workers are looking for a better workplace culture and are finding that these needs aren’t being met by either company.
Many employees had been lured away by promises of higher pay, better titles and better perks during the Great Resignation. Younger professionals, in particular, also had a "heightened expectation" to have more paid time off, schedule flexibility and meaningful work and were willing to make a change to attain these ideals and the new culture did not meet these expectations.
Ultimately, employees moving to new roles and new organizations are really looking for what makes them happy, and often the sentiment is that more money equals a happier life. For instance, sign-on bonuses seem great, but is it being offered because the organization's culture isn't one that cultivates value and fulfillment in its employees?
Conclusion:
To help retain employees, businesses have the responsibility to cultivate an environment of clarity, alignment and purpose that connects employees to business goals and objectives where they feel valued and trusted, but with exception that employees still need to produce work in a timely manner.