How to Stop The Great Resignation

What Is Causing The Great Resignation?

What is driving this historical moment in time where tens of millions of people have quit or are thinking about quitting their jobs in search of something new? The standard aspects of a job like career advancement, compensation, and benefits play a role, but it’s the human aspects of work (or more accurately, the lack thereof) that seem to be pushing people over the edge.

A recent article published by McKinsey & Company in September 2021 reported that because of the isolation, uncertainty, and change brought about by the pandemic, employees are craving a human investment in the workplace. Specifically, people want:

• A Sense of Purpose

  Such as connection with the company’s mission

• Social Connection

  Not just transactions, but relationships

• To Feel Valued

  By their organization, colleagues and managers

This need for employees to feel valued by their managers seems to be overlooked by employers. In that same McKinsey & Company article, employees rated “valued by my manager” as the second most important factor in staying at a job, only behind “valued by my organization.” Conversely, employers placed it significantly lower, all the way down at number 18, behind the more transactional aspects of work like compensation and the ability to work remotely.

• Employee Views

  • 1. Valued by organization
  • 2. Valued by manager
  • 3. Sense of belonging
  • 4. Potential for advancement
  • 5. Having caring and trusting teammates
  • 6. Flexible work schedule

• Employer Views

  • 1. Looking for a better job
  • 2. Inadequate compensation
  • 3. Poor health
  • 4. Development opportunities
  • 5. Poached by another company
  • 6. Ability to work remotely
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • 18. Valued by manager

This striking difference between what employees want vs. what employers THINK they want is a problem.

Understanding the Employee/Manager Relationship

We dug in to learn more about this gap in understanding by surveying nearly 5,000 employees—from individual contributors to C-suite executives—to get a better understanding of the employee/manager relationship as it stands right now.

First, as you may have guessed, management matters. We learned that the relationship turns over quickly with 62% of respondents reporting a change in their manager within the last two years. Despite tenure, however, managers are a key driver of the employee experience with 96% of individual contributors surveyed agreeing that their manager has an impact on their well being at work, and 42% stating they have left a job in the past because of their manager. In addition, managers are culture shapers with 98% agreeing this group plays a critical role in building an engaged and connected organizational culture.

• 

  of respondents reported a change in their manager over the past two years

• 

  of individual contributors surveyed agreed that their manager has an impact on their well-being at work

• 

  stated they have left a job in the past because of their manager

• 

  agreed managers play a critical role in building an engaged and connected organizational culture

Second, helping managers improve their effectiveness through management training is universally perceived as a good investment in time and money with 99% of leaders, 98% of managers, and 92% of individual contributors agreeing that it’s worth managers’ time to develop and improve their management skillset.

• 

  Leaders

• 

  Managers

• 

  Individual Contributors

Last, the skills that make a “good” manager and contribute to their effectiveness are more relational in nature.

When our survey respondents were asked to provide one word that describes a good manager, they used words like supportive, leader, trust, and care. Furthermore, when respondents were asked to select the top management skills necessary for an effective manager, all were the more relational aspects of the job with 57% putting communication at the top, followed by developing others (37%), and motivating others (30%).

Help Managers Adapt Their Approach and Keep Their People

Everything DiSC^® Management on the all-new Catalyst™ platform prepares anyone in a management role to successfully engage, motivate, and develop their people. It combines DiSC^® with personalized management insights to help learners adapt their approach to each direct report, improving their management effectiveness in real-time. Learners will:

• Discover their DiSC management style
• Explore strategies for effective directing and delegating
• Learn to create motivating environments
• Deepen their ability to develop others based on each individual’s potential
• Improve their working relationship with their own manager

The result is a culture of great managers who bring out the best in their people—and themselves.

Connect with your Everything DiSC Authorized Partner today to learn more.