The health crisis, which we have been experiencing since the beginning of 2020, was accompanied by a value crisis. Most people start to reconsider, what they want and how they desire to live their lives. At professional level, more and more people are pursuing a career, that offers them satisfaction, flexibility and balance between their personal and professional lives. This has as a result to be led to the “Great Resignation”.
The Big Resignation is the economic tendency, where employees in masse decide to quit their jobs voluntarily. According to a survey conducted by the consulting company McKinsey, from April 2021 until today, 40 million US citizens have resigned, while 40% of employees from the USA, Canada, Australia, Britain and Singapore intend to leave their jobs in the next six months regardless of whether they have found a job or not.
In our time, the following paradox occurs: on the one hand, companies are unable to find the right human resources to staff their businesses and on the other hand, when they find it or have it, they cannot maintain it. However, this is not due to the Great Resignation. It was something that happened before the pandemic. Simply, now the phenomenon is much more intense. But for what reasons is a capable and hard-working employee led to resignation?
Unfortunately, the reasons are many and are the following:
1) Low Income.
For many people, a high salary is not their basic motivation for working or for having a high performance. However, the main reason, that all people work is to correspond their basic needs (rent, electricity, water, e.t.c.). When a person’s income is low and he/she is unable to be consistent in his basic obligations or to have a good and decent lifestyle, then he/she will definitely look for a job with a better salary, which will offer him/her.
2) Overload of Responsibilities.
Supervisors tend to delegate the most significant and difficult responsibilities to capable employees. If they discover, that they can correspond to them quickly and efficiently, then they are given to them more and more tasks, because they trust them and feel safe, that they will carry them out. However, what they do not realize is that by their behavior they punish rather than reward the ability of their employees.
3) Work Exhaustion – Burn Out.
A competent employee is, usually and, a hardworking employee. He/she wants to be productive and efficient. To contribute to the organization, where he/she works. However, the long hours of work, the excessive duties, the pressure and the stress, that accompany them, result in the employees getting burnout and pursuing a job that will have a more human pace, so as not to be led to this condition.
4) Lack of Recognition.
All people want recognition in one way or another. An employee is no exception. When an employee gives his / her best for his / her company, he / she desires to be appreciated, e.g. with a “Well done for your monthly sales percentage” or giving him/her the working schedule he/she wants, if he/she is in a job with rolling schedule. When this does not happen, then people start to get frustrated and think, that they are in an enterprise, which it does not appreciate him/her.
5) Lack of Humanity.
We need to remember that employees are above all human beings. They are not machines, they are not numbers, they are not robots and they are not slaves. For this reason, they need to receive the appropriate comportment. To be taken into account their personality, their views, their desires, their phobias or insecurities and their problems both at professional and on a personal level.
6) Failure to Keep Promises.
Just as bosses feel confident and safe with capable and good employees, that they will carry out their responsibilities, in the same way the latter want to feel for the first ones. How can an employee be methodical and efficient when his / her superior constantly reverses his / her decisions and options? This situation tires him / her and he / she ends up looking for a more stable work environment.
7) Recruitment and Promotion of Insufficient Employees.
A competent, hardworking and efficient employee wants to work with people like him / her. It is unbearable for these people to coexist professionally with inadequate and idle people. Especially, when these people are promoted professionally and need to work under their guidance. For this, they will seek to be in work environments with their peers.
8) Lack of Motivation and Challenges.
Skilled employees are usually people, who wish to use their knowledge and aptitudes in their work, learn new things and evolve. Have professional development and do not be stagnant. However, when they find themselves in a workplace, where their bosses only want to perform specific and repetitive duties, then they lose interest and end up seeking to find a job, which will offer them professional growth.
9) Toxic Work Environment.
Good employees want and be efficient in friendly work environments. A work environment dominated by irrationality, irresponsibility, lies, slander, inadequacy, unfair criticism and reprimand and psychological abuse does not help maintain good employees. On the contrary, the resignation of capable employees is only a matter of time.
10) Non-Identification of Corporate Culture.
Every enterprise has its own vision, its own values and its own work culture. The same goes for people. The aim is the company’s culture to match with the individual’s culture. If this does not occur, the employee will be forced to work in a way that does not express him / her and then he / she will look for an organization that can achieve this.
For each employee, who submits his / her resignation, one, some or all of the above reasons might apply. Each case is different. However, it is not an irreversible situation.
Enterprises need to appreciate and respect their worthy employees. Offer them a healthy and friendly work environment, which will be productive and efficient in the way they wish and can, enjoy their work and evolve through it. And then they will not worry about losing their capable employees, because the latter will simply not want to leave.
This article contains copyright. Reproduction of all or part of this article may be done with the consent of the author or with reference to the website www.marialykousi.gr. The first publication was made at www.psychology.gr on 02/15/2022.