It’s time to hop on the retention train … before it leaves the station for good.
A few months back, we introduced The Business Transformation Network (BTN), a global media community for business change. Since that time, we’ve collaborated with their team of innovators to plan an exclusive roundtable discussion with HR executives from leading U.S. enterprise organizations. The topic? Employee retention of course. Because unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve heard of The Great Resignation. And it’s time to pay attention.
Although this genuinely exhilarating session is behind us, we’re still spinning with ideas and inspiration from this truly extraordinary group of like-minded professionals! We’re grateful for their honest feedback, and we’re excited to share the creative, innovative approaches that resulted from our highly engaged dialogue.
First, however, we can’t help but acknowledge the unmistakable shift in energy that occurred throughout this fascinating 90-minute discussion:
A time to reflect
At the start of this compelling conversation, one thing was clear: HR is tired. After more than a year of blocking and tackling through a pandemic, this often overlooked and underappreciated function has been left burnt out and emotionally exhausted.
Our forum provided a safe space for leaders in all industries to address the reality of the working dynamic today… the good, the bad and the ugly. We discussed common challenges and shared downfalls, as we’re all in this together and thus all learning together too.
By the end of the conversation, however, the mood had shifted. Significantly! Why? Because we acknowledged that half the battle was sheer validation! As cliche as sounds, the last year has been unprecedented. And frightening. And confusing. And completely unknown. To hear the same struggles and emotions from a group of peers provided a sense of relief and renewed hopefulness. And from there, it only got better.
Addressing the elephant(s) in the room
For those waiting for the working world to return to “normal,” please don’t hold your breath; it’s not happening. The landscape has changed, and it will continue to change in our post-pandemic reality. Roundtable participants from all segments earnestly agreed on this. Whatever the future of work ends up looking like, it’s undoubtedly going to be different.
We unpacked a few key factors that HR executives are seeing across the board:
Employees want flexibility
HR – and senior management – must embrace the inevitable hybrid working demands. Whatever the mix looks like at your organization, it’s time to define your work environment going forward. While some industries require in-person work, the companies that define the why and provide support will be the ones to succeed.
Employees are now empowered
Employees – or should we say humans – are looking at work differently. The concept of a “job” that you clock into each morning is becoming a thing of the past. Instead, today’s workers want careers they are passionate about or professions that ultimately complement their personal lives. And they’re asking for it.
Employees aren’t afraid to walk
After a year of chaos, many employees have been left jaded and unimpressed by their employers. Now, as the world opens back up, eyes are opening to greener pastures – organizations who are actually listening and reacting to the legitimate demands of employees and potential employees. Until you address the shift at large, your employee turnover rates will suffer. Today’s unhappy, unengaged and uninspired workers are no longer holding onto a job that’s not providing what they need.
A light at the end of the tunnel
Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. The truth of the matter is that we’ve found ourselves in a position we’ve never been in before. At this very moment, we have an extremely rare opportunity to hit pause, reset and reinvent our organizations.
Right now is the best opportunity we’ve ever had to personalize work, reimagine our employer brands and tell our unique stories – with authenticity and honesty. Now is the time to slow down and define what success looks like for your organization. Tune into what your employees want or what they’re looking for; then build a model that supports it.
Thankfully, Team Click is here to help. Our end-to-end employee experience platform provides modern, compliant HR solutions that impact new hire first year growth and retention. And it all starts the moment your new hires say “YES.”
