The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a lot of change for many people and these changes sometimes meant leaving companies that don’t align with them. Money was no longer the primary motivator for many employees.
The pandemic slowed down the lifestyle of many people which allowed for introspection of what they care about most and what they expect out of life and their employers. This uncomfortable time made people less likely to put up with low pay, limited opportunities to grow, and overall feeling disrespected.
These feelings led to what everyone is now calling “the Great Resignation.” Companies currently lack the flexibility, the desire to prioritize customer satisfaction, and the desire to meet employee standards. These issues are causing many to quit their jobs and find more accommodating work environments.
Reasons the Great Resignation is Just Getting Started
1. Company Loyalty is Fizzling Out
COVID-19 negatively impacted many people’s lives and with several lockdowns, life became a series of work and isolation. Furthermore, the pandemic highlighted the systematic flaws in the companies people work for.
The way many businesses chose to handle their work environment contributed to a shift in the perspectives of their employees. When employees felt their employer wasn’t doing enough to protect them from getting sick or provide proper compensation, moving on became more frequent.
These occurrences have led many people to say that company loyalty is dead or at least dying. However, consider that company loyalty isn’t dead, merely the needs and preferences of employees have simply changed.
During the height of the pandemic, people were able to do their jobs successfully from their homes. Employers who pushed for early returns to the physical office were no longer appealing to workers considering that it was more inconvenient. For instance, a day of working from home means zero commute time, more time to take care of one’s self and family, and less risk of exposure to COVID. Moving back into a physical workspace takes all those benefits away.
2. People’s Sense of Purpose
Employees or people, in general, have started questioning the reason they work for the companies that they do. People have a renewed sense of finding environments that align with what fulfills them most.
The pandemic was and still is a time of loss. Many lost people close to them, regular social interaction, and their sense of freedom. With so many significant life changes, people were forced to slow down and think about their priorities. Meaning, they’d rather quit an unfulfilling job than let the life they actually want, pass them by.
As an employer now is the time, more than ever, to identify if your company provides the people in your company with a sense of purpose. Prioritizing this not only retains but may even attract employees because many people want to feel proud of their work.
My Perspective as a College Student
From the perspective of a college student, I expect most of the work environment to become increasingly virtual. Spending most of 2020 conducting school and life via Zoom showed how in-person meetings aren’t always a necessity.
There have been many occasions post-COVID quarantine and the Zoom University era, where my peers and I comment that a class or event could have been condensed. The Pandemic highlighted how often meetings could have been an email. So many people agree with that statement that there are thousands of “this could have been an email” memes.
Companies that keep pushing for employees to be present in an office are failing to see that the appeal is no longer there for many people. Now I say all this not to bash face-to-face meetings, but to say that people across the globe have discovered the freedom to conduct their business virtually in the past 2 years.
Not to mention, there are other benefits besides flexibility that come from using office spaces less such as:
- Saving millions of dollars in real estate
- Performing better than those in offices wit1h the right team and leadership
- Reducing emissions from commuting
This past semester, I became increasingly frustrated with attending certain classes just for my professors to read off of PowerPoint. PowerPoints that I already had access to. Personally, my college experience has shown me that I desire a work environment that is at least 50% done virtually on my own time.
Want More on Using the Great Resignation to Your Benefit?
Now that we’ve delved into what employees are seeking, it’s time to look into how your business aligns with that. If your business is looking for more ways to incorporate sustainability within your branding, check out Creative Chi’s resource hub or reach out at info@createchi.com resource hub.