A Cry for Change – Why Workers are Quitting or Not Returning

What's My Future Here?

Who would have thought it would take a worldwide pandemic to jolt us into analyzing our business organizations' hierarchy and their attitudes regarding their workforce. So here's the question that sparked the examination, "How the hell are we going to get people back to work?"

My dear C-Suite, this not 2008!  You cannot stick your head in the sand and wait for everything to settle down.  Jump for joy here because the reality is, things may never settle down. 

Studies and surveys are popping up all over, and the conclusions are all the same:  Employees are pooped, exhausted, and dismayed. Yet, in between the moments of feeding Jason his breakfast, teaching Sophia the names of clouds, while trying to keep all this out of the view of their computer camera, your workforce was thinking. 

They asked themselves the hard questions that we all eventually come to when the suffering is too great: 

• Am I happy doing what I'm doing? 
• Do I like the way I'm being treated?
• Do I respect the Head Honchos?  
• What's my future here?
• And how do I want my future to look?

A couple of stats:

• In April, a record number of people in the US quit their jobs –  oh, just 4 million.
• And the people who you laid off last year, the ones you were confident would come back when you wanted them to come back; the now unemployed -  66% of them are seriously considering a new path.

My message to the esteemed group at the top: 
You've been given one of the greatest gifts one can have in a lifetime; the power to truly affect another person's growth, esteem, and talent. You can inspire boundless creativity.  You can be surprised out of your wit by the exhilaration of collaborating with people – people who laid their future in your hands. Step into the shoes you've been given and be the leader others want to follow.

For over a decade, I've been going into organizations working with teams and their bosses and supervisors.  It doesn't take much for an employee to feel appreciated, heard, and vested.  And it can't be a token or a crumb – not acceptable anymore.

The irony of it all is that when you take the time to nourish your workers and focus on Employee Experience (EX), the productivity you're presently commanding will exceed the quality you wanted.  Then watch what happens to the Customer Experience (CX) – out of the park! It's that simple.

So, stop thinking about your next flight to the moon and start treating people the way they want and deserve to be treated. "Yes, and…" new ideas, be vulnerable – you do not have all the answers, LISTEN, engage, make a playground for bold new solutions by allowing for creativity without judgment.

​And don't order that ping pong table just yet.  Instead, smile, walk out of your office, and start being curious. The rewards are boundless.