Almost one in four UK workers are expected to quit their job and change employers over the next few months, according to new research by Hall & Partners.
Subsequently, business leaders are now prioritising employee experience.
Workers are considering their options and thinking more carefully about their careers following the pandemic pandemonium.
This first provided the impetus for droves of people to leave their jobs,or consider switching careers.
Today, the 1st May, marks International Labour day, which commemorates past labour struggles against workers’ rights violations, including lengthy workdays and weeks, poor conditions and child labour.
In honour of this day, it is important to consider the reasons employees are resigning, and what employers can do to improve their working conditions.
What are the current reasons for the continuing Great Resignation?
A significant number of workers said they had left their job, or had thought about doing so, due to suffering mental health issues (31%), while others have considered leaving to seek a more ethical employer (18%).
It’s a similar story in the US with reports of almost 3 percent of the workforce quitting their job last October, and CNN reporting that 4.4 million Americans left their job in February 2022.
“The great resignation trend is continuing to sweep across the UK and spread throughout the world. The pandemic ignited and accelerated the trend in remote working practices, with businesses forced to offer flexible, hybrid options to staff who were told to stay at home during lockdown restrictions,” says Director, Global Marketing & Communications at Hall & Partners, James Gambles.
What can employers do?
While thinking about their careers, workers were also asked what they would like their employers to prioritise most to keep them happy and satisfied at work. In order of importance, staff called for:
- Better flexible working arrangements with remote or hybrid options available
- Better promotion prospects
- Improvements in diversity and inclusion in the workplace
- To provide work that was more challenging, so they didn’t stagnate and become bored
- More training courses
“While businesses and brands have previously focussed on delivering exceptional customer experience (CX), the priority may need to switch towards employee experience (EX) and finding ways to keep staff motivated and happy,” adds Mr Gambles.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
