9 Experts Share How to Survive The Great Resignation & Retain Your Best Workers

Over a year after Anthony Klotz first coined the term, the ‘Great Resignation’ is still in full swing. 

From overworked healthcare professionals to CEOs who want to spend more time with their families, workers and managers have been quitting their jobs at record rates in search of better opportunities.  

When asked why they quit, workers give various answers, such as low pay, feeling overworked and underappreciated, feeling that their job lacks meaning and childcare issues. 

If you are feeling discouraged—don’t be. We, along with many HR and industry experts, are optimistic and see multiple ways to retain your employees and improve their job satisfaction. And as stated by Hanadi El Sayyed, “the pandemic has transformed the role of HR into an indispensable enabler of business success.”

We’ve gathered some expert tips on how you can come out of the Great Resignation strong, help your best employees feel good at their job, and keep them with your company for the long run. 

1. Understand What Truly Drives Your Employees

The wide range of reasons given for resigning highlights that there no longer is a “one size fits all” solution to guaranteeing that people are satisfied at their job, says Claire Sofield, Owner and Managing Director of Four Recruitment.

Sofield stressed the importance of “really understanding your people, what motivates them, their purpose and their overall connection to the business in order to prioritize their needs.”

While creating a personalized package for each employee is challenging, “it’s important that you recognize there are different needs and the traditional benefits package is no longer fit for purpose,” she adds.

“The goal is to provide a place where your employees feel meaning, autonomy, and challenge,” Saray Ben Simhon, Head of HR at Connecteam, says. 

2. Nurture Your Employees’ Growth

A major factor in keeping your employees motivated and satisfied is to show them that you are invested in their professional and personal growth. 

Chris Lewandowski, President of Princess Dental Staffing, suggests that providing your staff with proper training and development opportunities is a win-win: it helps your employees to grow their skill sets and become more valuable to the company.

This, in turn, also improves employee retention. Johannes Larsson, Founder & CEO at Financer.com, adds that “without developing themselves, your employees may feel less motivated to perform tasks for your company.”

Investing in their personal well-being strengthens the “glue that will help them stick with your company for a longer time.”

3. Maintain Positive Playing Grounds

We all thrive and feel motivated to do well in a positive environment—be it at work, at home, or in the classroom. It is then no surprise that employees who enjoy their workplace are more likely to stick around and do well.

The recipe for a pleasant work environment suggested by Lewandowski is creating “a positive culture, providing exciting and challenging work, and showing appreciation for a job well done.”

Christina Russo, Creative Director of the Kitchen Community, adds that you should create a safe and welcoming work environment in which employees feel “free and available to talk about anything and everything that they need, and want, to without fear of repercussion.”  

4. Get With the New Normal

During the pandemic, a large chunk of the world’s workforce has gotten a sweet taste of what it is to have flexibility at work—be it working more flexible hours or working from home. And it seems like this has become part of our “new normal.” So offering flexible arrangements is now vital in maintaining your top talent.

According to Richard Smith, Senior HR Manager at Notta, “people's lives are becoming increasingly busy, and they value employers who are willing to work with them to create a schedule that fits their needs. (...) And when employees are happy with their work-life balance, they're more likely to stick around.” 

5. Communicate, Communicate, and … Communicate

Communication is the key to any healthy relationship - including the one with your workforce. Openly and regularly communicating with your staff shows your dedication to transparency, boosts engagement, and gives your employees the feeling of inclusion and importance in the workplace. 

Oberon Copeland, Owner & CEO of Veryinformed.com, adds that keeping “everyone in the loop about what's happening and what changes are being made will help reduce rumors and speculation.” 

6. Don’t Fall Behind Competition

It’s a competitive market out there, and low wages are still one of the leading reasons people resign. So while your employees may love their job, the grass can seem greener on the other side if they can find better pay and benefits elsewhere.

Larsson advises you to “keep an eye on what your competitors provide to their employees and always aim to offer a better option in your company.”

Nicholas Glover, CEO of Health Alliance Solutions, shares that by “focusing on the ‘big 3’ of compensation, benefits, and balance (work/life)” his clients better retain their employees compared to their competitors and have more internal employees offering referrals as new positions open up.

7. Control Less, Empower More 

Rather than constantly staying on top of your employees and pushing them to deliver concrete results, showing that you trust their ability to perform well can prove more successful. This approach will also help your employees feel less stressed or burnt out in the long run.

Paw Vej, COO at Financer.com, suggests you “let them have autonomy over their own projects or tasks.

Ciarán Hourican, Director of H-Training, adds that “now, more than ever before, it’s important to place an emphasis on accountability, rather than controllability.”

“Be open and honest with your teams, place trust in them that you *know* they can work effectively from home, empower them, and give them the tools they need to flourish. Rather than tracking time active, clicks per minute, and keyboard inputs, place your time and effort into encouraging them to complete their tasks on time but at their own pace. Your trust will be rewarded.”

8. Think, Then Think Again Before Laying Off Employees 

Firing staff members, especially during the Great Resignation, can be a great blow to company morale—and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Smith states that “employees who observe massive layoffs will be discouraged from continuing their work; this can negatively impact their productivity, especially if they’re a hard worker that’s been with the company for years.”

He highlights that it also makes the path to recovery longer and more costly as you will need to rebuild your workforce and incur recruiting and training costs in the process. He instead suggests that “in many cases, the better solution could be to reduce employees’ hours.” 

If you get this right, the Great Resignation will remain a term of the past rather than an issue you need to worry about.