Recently I was talking to some friends of mine, all of them mid-senior level executives at their organisations, regarding the unprecedented mass exodus of workers that many companies in the U.S. have experienced since April.
Among the many different perspectives, I have heard, they all shared one common observation. Many of their colleagues are feeling disengaged and disconnected from their working environments. Is like the isolation of the pandemic has forced them into a self reflection and they are now returning back with an intensified desire for authentic belonging.
I couldn’t agree more. If the past 18 months taught us anything, it’s that employees want more investment in the human aspect of work. They are tired to being treated like worker bees and considered to be objects or expenses rather than assets. They want social and interpersonal connections with their colleagues and managers. They crave for meaningful relationships that will make them feel valuable for the organisation.
However many companies still fail to understand the paradigm shift we have experienced and are entering the new post-pandemic era with the same old school leadership:
They neglect / exclude their employees during the design and planning phase of the transformation.
They rush to adapt their structure to make it “leaner”, to “right-size” the organisation and improve their bottom line.
They are throwing money and superficial perks in order to retain their talents or attract new ones.
In other words they are tone-deaf.
Recent research from McKinsey that tried to capture what’s behind ” the Great Resignation”, confirmed the notion that employers once again overlook the relational elements putting more focus on transactional factors. According to the results of this research the top two reasons employees cited for leaving were that they didn’t feel their work was valued (54%) or that they lacked a sense of belonging at their work (51%).
In my view this an act of revolution against bad leaders and a disapproval of the archaic culture that many companies had. It is a wakeup call for leaders at all levels to transform their cultures. It a screamer that says:
Please take notice of the change in attitude. Realize that the game has changed and stop doing what you’ve been doing for over 50 years.
Therefore, I feel sad when I see companies and their leaders responding to this disruption without making any effort to strengthen the relational ties that people have with their colleagues and their employers. Without first taking care of their culture.
I believe that they are barking up the wrong tree, they think in a vacuum and they are destined to fail.
If you are a CEO or a member of the top team your best move now is to “pause” and take time to think of your company culture. The landscape is not the same and will continue to change as you seek to find your balance again. There is though one common aspect that you should consider when thinking of your next moves:
Employees want a renewed and revised sense of purpose in their work. They want you to re-consider the company culture. They want you to look beneath the surface.
If you realise that you didn’t have a purposeful culture you are definitely backed into a corner. There are no “quick fixes” but don’t waste another minute and start shifting your culture to one that people are excited to work in instead of one they can’t wait to leave.
COVID-19 was an external disruption imposed on your company, but the future remains very much in your own hands!
Cover Photo by Danica Tanjutco on Unsplash
McKinsey Quarterly, September 8, 2021 | Article: ‘Great Attrition’ or ‘Great Attraction:The choice is yours
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