Ready to join the Great Resignation? Here’s how to avoid a disappointing job switch

3 minutes Read by Bernard Coleman.

Employers are losing talent to other companies that offer higher pay, cool perks, flexible work, and professional growth opportunities as a result of the Great Resignation. We don't speak enough about the other side of the coin, which is called the Great Regret or the Big Mistake.

I left a job in 2008 for more money and thought it was an amazing opportunity. I had negative early indicators about what was to come when I started my new job. It was a bad six months in a role with a culture of turnover, scandals, and toxic leadership. I regretted leaving my previous company where I was valued, had great leaders, wonderful colleagues, and a positive environment, and I enjoyed my work.

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Companies can avoid the Great Regret by being proactive and constantly ensuring the culture is optimal.

The best offense is a good defense. The defense focuses on the basics of what makes an extraordinary environment and reminds staff why they joined in the first place.

Getting the employee journey right is the key to an enduring culture. A bad manager, more money, and greater opportunity are some of the reasons why people leave companies. It is important to not lose sight of your values.

The values, people and product are what brought people in, so double down on what makes your employee value proposition stand out.

Returners

Everyone knows that there is a war for talent, and recruiters are scrambling to find new talent. Recruiters should look at their former employees. It's a good idea to remind former employees of how great the experience was by pointing out what they left behind.

Alumni programs can reach former talent. They need to communicate the latest news and share cultural moments. The grass isn't always greener, and former talent might need to think about coming back. After the chaos of six months, I was able to return to my former company and rejoin my team. I came back with more appreciation and loyalty.

Diagnose why they may want to leave

A lot of people are getting multiple solicitations from recruiters. It feels nice to be wanted, and while those overtures may feel good, your folks may be leaving the job for the wrong reasons. To determine weakness in the experience, diagnose all parts of the employee journey.

Organizations overpromise and under deliver on what they promise. HR people need to dive into employee survey information and try to get a signal on why people might jump ship. Asking talent why they want to leave or perform stay interviews to engage staff will hopefully prevent unwanted departures.

There are a lot of factors driving the Great Resignation. Many people are looking for greater impact because of the more intentionality by talent. The talent market wants more companies that have a positive social imprint. People are willing to take a pay cut in order to find fulfillment in their role. A Great Regret moment can be avoided if your organization can fulfill this need of purpose.

Many employers were caught flatfooted when the Great Resignation began. We should have seen the signs of the gig economy. The ability to be your own boss and the freedom of when and how to work were offered by the gig economy. The freedom to work when they wanted was one of the things that people loved about working for an app. Most people want to live and work as they please.

The head of Employee Engagement at Gusto is Bernard Coleman, he leads the team which includes diversity, equity and inclusion, employee relations, and people integrity/governance/compliance functions.

This article was originally published on Inc.