Turnover has spiked across industries all over North America and abroad with the so-called “Great Resignation” and quiet quitting – and many companies aren’t sure how to reduce turnover and implement employee engagement strategies.
A US military veteran recently told Aaron De Smet, a senior partner in the New Jersey office of the McKinsey Quarterly, that she knows WHY folks are leaving. She also shared ideas about what employers can (and can’t) do to improve employee retention.
As a US Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, Adria Horn served five tours of duty overseas from 2003-2010. In her civilian life, Horn is the executive vice president of workforce at Tilson, which is a national telecom business.
Horn explained to De Smet that this Great Resignation is actually a normal response when people are trying to return to “normal” after a traumatic period, which is something most people have never gone through. She says in the McKinsey Quarterly article: “I’ve experienced this kind of thing after every return from deployment.”
She doesn’t compare being home during the pandemic to being deployed in areas of conflict per se, but suggests the uncertainty and ambiguity of returning to a previous worklife after COVID-19 is a parallel.
The workplace changed for most of us
It helps to understand what has shifted for today’s workforce, motivating them to leave jobs in record numbers. Most experts agree:
- The pandemic changed how we work, teaching us some surprising lessons about working remotely.
- Many workers have reevaluated their priorities and careers, and they don’t necessarily agree with employers who want them back to the office.
- Rather than be overworked, some workers (like those who worked on the frontline during the pandemic – or in those industries hit hard by lockdown like retail and hospitality) are leaving to find other career paths.
- Employees, especially Gen Z workers, want their companies to offer more flexibility and higher wages – so employers need to implement employee engagement strategies and work to attract and retain top talent.
The effect of uncertainty on workers
Horn said that COVID-19 has been a collective trauma, not entirely unlike a deployment of sorts for everyone in the world (even if we didn’t realize it). Even now, we’re not sure when this pandemic uncertainty will end – whereas with a military deployment, soldiers do have an actual end date to work toward.
The big takeaway from the observations Horn shares with De Smet of the McKinsey Quarterly, is that re-integrating is hard. This is because:
- Returning to work after COVID is not the same as it was pre-pandemic even though it feels like we should be going back to how it was before.
- Things that were familiar and comfortable have most likely changed.
- Transitioning from the intensity of being a frontline worker at the height of the pandemic or working from home to going back to pre-pandemic norms feels strange and not like it used to be.
- Some employees thrived working remotely and resent being told to return to the office.
- There are still many unknowns, with so much disrupted by the pandemic (including routines, oftentimes a feeling of community in the workplace and perhaps even the office space itself).
Recognize the pandemic has been a trauma
Horn suggests people are minimizing the effect of the pandemic, thinking they’re just upset that things have changed.
As De Smet observes in the article, there are many things people are grieving as a result of the pandemic:
- Those who have died, of course.
- Good health for those still struggling with lingering effects of COVID.
- Things that were missed because of the pandemic and lockdowns, such as vacations or graduations, funerals, wedding celebrations or socializing with others.
- Missing things about work they got used to during the pandemic – and the way work was pre-pandemic.
- Feeling awkward and managing anxiety.
A big problem, Horn says in the McKinsey Quarterly article, is that people figure, “My grief is unworthy. Why can’t I just be grateful for what I have?”
Horn cautions that neither employees nor their employers should diminish their experience. She says: “We all go through things in different ways. People are accumulating disappointment now. It’s real, and it’s spurring them to make decisions they normally wouldn’t.”
One of our most popular blogs during the pandemic lockdowns was managing grief and anxiety in uncertain times. Naming the feeling of discomfort from the pandemic as grief resonated with many folks, and still does.
As someone who has been through five military deployments, Horn says there is no surprise that there is a high when people first return to “normal” life and then a low.
After a huge crisis and change, it’s not unusual for people to re-evaluate what they’re doing and make some changes. What’s different right now is that so many people are stepping back and reflecting on this at the same time.Applying military insights to civilian workplaces
Horn has advice for what employers can do to manage the dramatic increase in employee turnover and how to apply employee engagement strategies in the workplace:
Adapt
Usually we wonder if an uptick in resignations is a sign there’s a problem with the company culture. Perhaps people feel overworked – or there’s an issue of people not playing nice with others. That may be the case (and we should contemplate whether it is) – but this could actually be a normal human response to a collective trauma.
Accept
People might leave and return. Whereas before the pandemic, employers might never expect staff to leave and then want to return, Horn suggests employers be prepared to welcome rehires. Instead of viewing departures as unacceptable, she says it’s important to recognize that, “everyone’s been through a collective trauma and they deserve a break.” Don’t hold a break from employment against someone.
Offer care, concern and compassion
Horn mentions reading a parenting book that has a chapter about hugging an angry child rather than punishing them. She says: “I started doing it. I started hugging (my daughter) when she was mad, hugging her hard and long, and things just softened and de-escalated.” Similarly, Horn posits, many employees need “a professional and psychologically safe working environment, which I believe is the equivalent of a long, strong hug.” Being a safe space means making room for difficult feelings. It may also mean helping your team members build resilience alongside productivity.
Coach’s Questions:
How do you feel about comparing the pandemic to a traumatic deployment? Has this changed your thoughts about employee turnover? What employee engagement strategies are you currently implementing? What can you do to help support your team members?
