Quitting in droves

In a Microsoft survey that was rolled out exactly 11 months ago, 40 percent of respondents across the globe said that they may leave their employer at some point during the year. And many did just that. If you are a manager, especially in Technology, this mass exodus has surely affected you.

Reasons abound for this “great resignation”, as some have dubbed it. Toxic work cultures, dissatisfaction with working from home on laptops, work pressure, poor work-life balance, Covid-19-induced isolation, job instability and just plain physical exhaustion are some of the reasons. And there is a snowball effect when it comes to resignations – the more people quit, the worse matters get for those who decide to remain.

What then can you do as a manager to deal with a rash of resignations? Here are 6 things:

• Get creative on the recruitment of replacements. You should pull out all the stops in finding qualified replacements for the ones leaving. While the HR team gets cracking, you should also ask your team members to recommend their friends and associates. Your own LinkedIn and other networks can be useful.
• Get aggressive on ‘succession planning’. This is a risk mitigation measure that ensures your business is not adversely affected by the sudden loss of a critical resource. This will likely involve having a small ‘bench’ and will affect your bottom line. If this is not possible, identify backups – this will give you some flexibility in dealing with sudden resignations.
• Talk to your clients about the impact of the loss. When a critical employee leaves, even if your operations are unaffected, some clients may get nervous. Better your clients hear about such departures from you directly, rather than from someone else.
• Identify retention measures, proactively. While raising salaries or offering bonuses after receiving a resignation letter may grant you a reprieve, the best time to address salary concerns is when your workers haven’t quit yet. Being reactive can send a message that you are receptive to threats. Remember too that in cultures like ours, employees may hesitate to come forward and talk assertively about their salaries. If a person’s salary indeed deserves a second look, being proactive can ward off a painful event, for both the employee as well as you.
• Step up your game as a people manager. Take a hard look at how you treat your team members. It is a well-documented fact that one of the biggest reasons for an employee to leave is how they feel about their work, the office culture, you. Are you staying in touch with them in these stressful times? Talking to them, letting them know what is going on at a company level and listening to them with empathy can make them feel a sense of belonging, that you care. You are, after all, the face of your company to them. Also, ask yourself if you are managing your team’s performance in a fair and consistent manner. This includes setting clear goals and objectives, giving feedback, providing learning opportunities, recognizing superior performance and having regular appraisal conversations.
• Keep your emotions under control. Try not to take it personally – your employee’s decision to leave may have nothing to do with your performance as a leader. Stay calm and treat them with dignity and respect even if their decision lands you in trouble. They will always remember how you made them feel and may even want to come back.

Resignations are part of today’s reality. Accepting this will help you be mentally prepared and thus make better decisions. Would you like to share how you have coped with staff attrition? I would love to hear from you.