They are calling it the great resignation. A global awakening of employees who are sick of their jobs, leaders and are going to jump ship.

Many businesses (esp in US) are expecting a mass walkout of employees looking for better leadership, more meaningful roles, a sexy culture that pays well and listens to them.

But frankly in Australia it’s too early to tell if there will be a big quit. Already 1m aussies quit every year. In fact some of the data suggests that the opposite is happening here in Australia with less people leaving.

Movements

The Big Quit might not happen, but one thing is for sure. After two years of mayhem many high performers are reflecting on life, work and purpose. Are you?

Other longer term data shows that as few as 20% of employees are engaged at work. The Big Quit might improve this score, if or when employees switch to a more engaging culture.

As People Managers we can’t force employees to stay. But we can work on factors that make our teams and cultures just as sexy as our competitors.

What can managers do?

We need to ensure we have evolved our ways and are motivating employees in a style that encourages them to learn, contribute and strive in their current roles.

Employees are sick of managers and cultures that don't hit the mark.

Deepening our relationship with employees will enable us to grow a more empathy based connection that guides our conversations and decision making. Building trust and deeper understanding of your team is how managers will thrive in 2022 and beyond. Our focus must be firmly on listening, empowering and trusting them to do the right thing. Check out the motivators below as a start.

What can business do?

Invest in better leaders. Employees no longer want to work for managers that don’t listen, who can’t make decisions or are untrustworthy. Building leader capability so that they can evolve their skills and ignite and unite the workforce is the best attraction and retention strategy for 2022and beyond.

Lifting leader capability is sustainable, will reduce overheads, increase sales, enhance customer scores. Businesses that invest in leaders so that they are aligned to the needs of employees are more attractive. Managers that can listen, empower and ignite will get ahead and contribute to the culture that employees crave.