3 Ways You Can Proactively Address the Great Resignation

The Great Resignation has continued to heat up ever since the pandemic started. In fact, as late as the fall of 2021, millions of workers were quitting their jobs on a monthly basis, setting records in the process.

This mass migration away from traditional jobs, inadequate pay, and harsh (or at the least unpleasant) working conditions have put many leaders on the alert. The struggle to maintain a loyal and satisfied workforce has become a primary goal for many businesses.

The question is, how do you keep your employees healthy and happy when everyone around them is scrutinizing their employment and making dramatic decisions with that information? Here are a few suggestions for ways that business owners can proactively address the challenges the Great Resignation poses to their companies.

1. Build a Digital Workforce

As a human, it’s important to empathize with your workers and do what you can to help them (more on that further down.) However, as a leader, your first order of business is making sure that your company — and consequently everyone’s livelihoods — remains strong and healthy.

With the threat of resignations looming, it’s wise to guard against potential labor and talent gaps by cultivating a digital workforce. This is simply a portion of your workforce that includes smart tech tools like chatbots and conversational AI tools.

These tools have become very sophisticated in recent years. They can do anything from engaging with customers to having routine interactions and automating basic activities. This can take a large portion of the work burden off of your employees and reduce costs at the same time.

If you want to cultivate a digital workforce, you need to create a strategy first. Here are three tips to help you get started:

Identify potential needs and weaknesses: Every part of your digital workforce should address a current and understood need within your business.
Find a good third-party digital workforce platform: Don’t invest in a tool unless you are comfortable with its creator, their ability to update their tools, and their roadmap for the future.
Integrate your workforces: Use your digital workforce as a way to empower and help your employees rather than a way to threaten their job security.

It’s important to take steps to earn the loyalty of your employees. However, safeguarding your business with a strong digital workforce can give you peace of mind and a firm foundation to work from as you do so.

2. Invest in Your Employees

Next up, it’s important to show your employees that you genuinely care about them. This can’t be done through empty gestures or formulaic activities. You can’t even offer traditional perks and expect that to do anything but cover basic expectations.

Take remote work as a good example. A few years ago, the ability to work from home was considered a valuable perk. Now, for many, it’s a necessity. Even worse (in the context of investing in your employees), remote work is considered normal.

You need to find unique and special ways to show your employees that you see them. Here are a few ways you can do this:

Create a tailored benefits package: Don’t stuff your benefits package with generic things. Sure, start with basics like healthcare and retirement options, but don’t stop there. Consider unique ways that you can target your employees’ collective needs as you round out their perks.
Set up professional development opportunities: The modern professional world evolves very quickly. Giving your employees chances to grow and develop over time shows that you’re invested in their careers.
Stay open and honest: Transparency and two-way communication are important to modern, informed employees. While you don’t need to provide every detail, keeping your staff in the dark about important information never earns their trust.

There are plenty of ways to invest in your employees. The important thing is that you make it a targeted and personal activity that shows them you’re as loyal to them as you want them to be toward your brand.

3. Embrace Change

Remember that the modern business world is going through a dramatic shift. This is coming from a variety of factors.

Employees aren’t just quitting their jobs. Inflation and economic woes are pressuring businesses and individuals alike. The pandemic has upended life as we know it.

With so much changing, don’t assume that anything that you do will create predictable results. Instead, focus on three core tenets as you strive to keep your team intact in the months ahead:

Stay flexible: Flexibility is an essential aspect of good leadership. As you strive to maintain consistency for your staff, stay ready to flex whenever a challenge arises.
Embrace adaptability: Along with flexing to unforeseen challenges, adopt an adaptable mindset that is ready to embrace the evolution of work and find the best opportunities that it presents.
Foster a growth mindset: A stagnant or fixed mindset doesn’t enable adaptability or flexibility. Instead, strive to cultivate a growth mindset, both in yourself and in your team, that is ready to learn in perpetuity.

The Great Resignation may feel like a dangerous threat at the moment. However, leaders who can proactively manage the challenges that it presents can put themselves in a position to do more than just survive the turmoil. They can also thrive as they maintain a strong team and put themselves in a position to benefit from opportunities that arise in the months and years ahead.