| Last year, 25% of the workforce quit. Historically unprecedented, it has been dubbed The Great Resignation (and even has its own Wikipedia page!).Desperate to decrease attrition, HR departments in organizations everywhere have been throwing money and perks at people.
In an attempt to better understand the Great Resignation, author Marcus Buckingham and the ADP Research Institute interviewed 50,000 people in working populations around the world. They set out to determine what actually predicts retention, performance, and engagement. Their conclusion? It has less to do with pay, colleagues, location, or even a belief in the mission and more to do with people’s love for the content of the work itself. According to their research, people consider:
Accordingly, Buckingham argues that leaders must intentionally and intelligently strive to connect people’s activities with their strengths and what they love to do. Only then can they achieve higher engagement and lower turnover. He recommends that leaders remember:
While I appreciate the research and guidance directed at leaders, the conversation feels rather one-sided. It would be negligent if we didn’t also acknowledge that leaders cannot be solely responsible for ensuring that people enjoy their jobs. We must consider: What role do people play in their quest for excitement, strengths-based assignments, and joy on the job? Arguably leaders cannot help people realign unless people remember:
While leaders must endeavor to lead differently, people must endeavor to follow differently… not by resigning but by reflecting and realigning. © 2022. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved. |