News stories of people quitting their jobs are everywhere, reporting that people are leaving for better opportunities or working for themselves.
On the flip side, the news reports stories of unfilled positions and the impact of the labor shortage as companies scramble to find employees. But workers across the globe are telling leaders loud and clear that they want better working conditions, pay and work/life balance. With 11 million unfilled jobs in the U.S. alone, it's evident that companies aren't creating careers that people want. So, what's going on?
The situation is complex, and it's difficult to pinpoint a single issue. Sure, it's easy to blame government entitlement programs as the main culprit, and while some are taking advantage of handouts, I believe it has a lot more to do with finding meaning and joy in work.
Wanting to learn from the "Era of Resignation," I asked my network what they thought. After talking with dozens of leaders and individuals, I've narrowed it down to these reasons.
- Family comes first. During the pandemic, many people began to reevaluate their work and life, especially when it came to spending time with family. After traveling over 100,000 miles every year, I can relate. It was a reprieve to be at home with my family, month after month. I'm never going back to that kind of travel; it's too hard on my mind, body and family. Additionally, I worked fewer hours to homeschool my son and realized the toll of working 60-plus hours a week. My life improved dramatically during the pandemic, and I renewed my sense of self and family. I am not alone. Many of the people I spoke with said the same thing: "I am putting my family first. The health of my relationships is more important than grinding it out every day."
- Looking for purpose in work. Finding purpose in our work is essential to thriving in life and the workplace. People want to know that their work matters in the bigger picture and aligns with their talents and skills. One gentleman I spoke to said, "If I am working eight to 10 hours a day, I want to feel good about what I accomplished at the end of the day. But not just for the benefit of my company, I want to feel purposeful in my life -- like I am doing something I am meant to be doing." Statics corroborate this. According to a Gallup poll, only four in 10 employees strongly agree that the mission or purpose of their organization makes them feel their job is important.
- Bad jobs are bad jobs. All these factors have always made people want to quit: low pay, long hours, unsafe work conditions and rude customers. But now people are actually doing it. A friend of mine who works in customer service for a global airline said, "I'm tired of being treated like I don't have feelings or value. I can't control my company's decisions, but I am on the receiving end of customers' anger and frustration. I don't feel seen or heard by my company or our customers, and I dread going to work every day. The pay isn't worth feeling bad about myself."
- Entrepreneurial aspirations. Many who are leaving jobs are going to work for themselves. The work-from-home movement showed people could do much of their work from anywhere. Several people I spoke with summed it up like this: "If I don't have to be in an office to serve clients, why not go out on my own and perform the same work for similar clients?" Others have always dreamed of working for themselves but felt the risk was just not worth it. Now that most households have two incomes, the benefits outweigh the risk of staying in a job where you are disengaged and unhappy.
What are businesses to do? Notice that most of these reasons have nothing to do with pay. While compensation is important, pay is not the primary reason people leave. Employees want healthy workplaces that offer flexibility and autonomy; they want to choose where and when they work. They want to work for companies that value and respect them. People want to work in businesses where customers aren't abusive and rude. Business leaders must start addressing the root causes of these issues and commit to authentically recreating their culture and relationships with their employees. Those who don't will be left behind.
For more information, contact Kerry Siggins at kerry.siggins@stoneagetools.com.
