Keeping the talent means asking them for real feedback

This article originally appeared in The Tennessean.

There’s a new catch phrase sweeping the nation.

If you run a restaurant, hotel, healthcare company, or tech firm there’s no doubt you’ve heard it. And if you work in one of these fields you may have uttered it yourself.

Over the past few months, the phrase “I quit” has become more popular than ever before.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in July, nearly 4 million Americans quit their jobs. And surveys of those who have not quit show that the trend is likely to continue. Quitting has become so popular that business leaders have already given it a name, “The Great Resignation.”

So, what’s behind this new trend? Is it a fad or a new norm that’s here to stay?

To understand why so many people are quitting their jobs, we must look no further than the start of the pandemic a year and half ago. As the vaccines have rolled out and life has begun to (sort of) return to normal, several factors have converged to land the job market where it is today.

For some, the pandemic was a catalyst for change. Being forced out of familiar routines, worrying about your health, and spending more time at home with family caused many to re-evaluate what makes them happy. With time to reflect, some have realized they simply want to try something new.

And for some, the decision has been triggered by the pandemic trend that is likely here to stay: remote work. As working remotely has become more popular, companies are no longer just competing for top talent with their rivals down the street. They are competing for talent with companies from all over the world. Job seekers have more opportunities.

And yet for others, it’s been a matter of timing. Those that were planning for a job change before the start of the pandemic decided to stay put until things felt stable enough to make a move.

In the tech world that I work in, hiring and retaining tech talent has been difficult even in the best of times. With the techie shortage that we have been facing all the way back to the dot-com days, the past few months have been that much harder.

So, in the face of The Great Resignation that we are living through now, what can companies do?

We decided that for our company, the best way to address the challenge was to simply ask the employees themselves. Over the past two months, I have been meeting each of our crew one on one, to ask a somewhat awkward question, “What can we do to make this a great place for you to be long-term?”

Each of our folks had a unique perspective, but a few themes started to emerge:

Remote work. Nearly all our team members wanted to have the option to work from home indefinitely.

Flexibility. This has always been a part of our culture. But I learned that as we have grown, many of our long-term employees were worried this flexibility would go away.

Personal growth. Most everyone I talked to told me they were not concerned about “climbing the ladder” or attaining a certain title. They were more concerned about learning new technologies and, as one employee said, “building cool things.”

Pay. The feedback I got about pay was complex. Everyone hoped to make more money long-term, but many said that stability – knowing their job was safe – was more important to them.

With this feedback in mind, our next step is to re-evaluate what we are doing to meet these needs and make a plan to specifically address them. Although turnover is always going to be part of every organization, keeping your finger on the pulse of what employees want can help you avoid our own Great Resignation.

JJ Rosen is the founder of Atiba. A Nashville software development and IT consulting firm.