Getting To The Root Of Resignations: Four Tips For Employers

Niki is director, service operations with Insperity. She specializes in employee onboarding, human capital management and HR infrastructure.

With another 4.4 million workers quitting their jobs in April, the Great Resignation does not appear to be slowing down. As employers continue to face the challenges of attracting and retaining top talent, many are trying to determine ways to appeal to the workforce.

Employers are at a critical crossroads because companies can only operate for so long understaffed, not only from a full-coverage perspective to facilitate sales and service, but also due to the high levels of burnout among existing employees. According to a FlexJobs survey, “30% of respondents said they are currently considering quitting, while 25% quit their job in the last six months. Of those who quit, 68% did so without another job lined up.”

The long line of resignations should be a red flag to many employers, signaling that something is broken and needs to be fixed. Rather than providing short-term solutions that fail to address long-term issues, now is the time for employers to get to the root of the problem by taking a deep dive into the reasons why employees are resigning. Below are four tips for employers as they delve into resignations.

Conduct Stay Interviews

While employee exit interviews serve as an excellent source of information that can inform changes that help retain other employees, they are too little too late for the droves of employees who are resigning. Companies must stop the bleeding and proactively identify issues and concerns while there is still time to make a difference. One way is through stay interviews that help companies determine why employees stay and what may cause them to leave. Stay interviews are typically casual conversations managers have with top performers who can serve as a gauge for any changes that can be made to nip resignations in the bud. Any issues or concerns from high performers will most likely mirror the opinions of the rest of the team.

Survey Employees

While climate surveys are typically conducted annually, it may be a good idea to develop shorter versions that can be conducted quarterly so that employers have a more immediate finger on the pulse of their workforce. They offer a great way for employers to learn more about how employees feel toward their job, workplace, colleagues and managers. Unprecedented times call for unique measures that readily identify issues for real-time solutions that can have long-term effects. With a job seekers’ market, there can be a tendency for workers to quit with little or no notice, so employers need to equip themselves with tools to uncover issues before they spiral out of control.

Grasp The Top Reasons

Although surveys continue to list the main reasons why employees are resigning, some employers might be in denial, unable to admit their companies fall into the same circumstances or incapable of fixing the problems. Now is the time for leaders to grasp the top reasons and carefully examine their operations for a transparent approach that may turn their situations around. The top reasons that continually appear in various surveys and typically rank in the top five are toxic corporate culture, poor compensation, lack of training/growth/advancement opportunities, no work-life balance and feeling undervalued and/or disrespected.

While all of the reasons pose valid concerns for employers, compensation is one area that can be addressed by reviewing market/industry pay rates and recognizing real-world circumstances. A tight labor market in which employees can command higher wages combined with skyrocketing gas/grocery prices can take precedence over other concerns for workers out of sheer necessity. Companies cannot operate without people, so it behooves leaders to consider these factors as they address a solution for resignations.

Avoid Quick Fixes

It is important for leaders to have a long-term perspective and avoid quick fixes as they focus on answers to resignation problems. Using a band-aid approach can further exasperate some situations. For example, providing an extra day off for employees to recharge doesn’t solve the problem if the office is short-staffed and work continues to pile up. Workers can feel added stress and anxiety when they return. In addition, employees see through some perceived quick fixes such as free lunches, gift cards and happy hours because while these perks are thoughtful, they do not address more pressing concerns that lead to employee resignations. Leaders should be strategic with any changes to help ensure they are effective and sustainable.

As business leaders feel a greater sense of urgency to identify long-term solutions to help curb employee resignations, they should take strategic steps. Conducting stay interviews, surveying employees, grasping the top reasons and avoiding quick fixes can make a difference in employee retention that leads to ongoing business success.

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