What Aussie Employers Can Do To Combat The Great Resignation
The Great Resignation or the Big Quit – whatever you call it – it’s coming. And it has the potential to significantly impact your business. So far in the US, 4 million workers have quit their jobs in the last month alone – setting record rates for the fourth month in a row.
Why are so many people leaving their jobs?
It’s said that the market is “catching up”. Many workers who wanted to resign were holding off until the job market improved. But, this only tells part of the story. Like many big life events such as death or serious illness, COVID-19 is making people step back and rethink their lives. Not only is the persistent and pervasive impact of the pandemic disrupting our lives, it is also blending our work and life in ways many employees have never experienced before. For some, this is creating stress and burnout. Others are reassessing what is important in life and the role of work. This is giving rise to people realising they don’t have to or want to live as they did before the pandemic. This has also led to individuals leaving not just jobs, but industries, to pursue their true passions or side hustle full time.
A comprehensive study which analysed over 9 million employee records across 4,000 organisations, reveals resignation rates are highest amongst experienced employees aged between 30-45 years with established careers. The study also finds resignations are highest in the tech and healthcare industries. This makes sense when you consider the relentless strain on healthcare professionals since COVID-19 began. Tech professionals are likely to have a financial buffer that allows them to tap into the YOLO economy. YOLO, or “you only live once”, is a common catchphrase with Gen Y. This attitude has seen an increase in risk-taking behaviour when it comes to jobs and a shift in what employees will now accept.
What is happening in Australia?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest job mobility report from February this year indicates it was ‘professionals’ who changed jobs the most (21%), compared to all other position types (7.5%). Within the IT sector, those who changed jobs increased by more than 25% over the last 12 months (from 7.1% to 8.9%). Media reports predict the Great Resignation will hit Australia in March 2022.
Source: ABS
Here’s what employers can do to minimise the impact of the Great Resignation
Just as employees are taking risks and stock on their lives, employers must take bold steps to attract and retain talent.
- Tailor benefits to employees – Personalising work perks and benefits ensures what you offer is truly valued.
- Collect data to understand what would have convinced people to stay – This helps inform recruitment and retention strategies.
- Look for transferrable skills and relevant key attributes when hiring – Shifting the focus to invest in the skills and experience of the successful candidate or existing staff can help broaden your talent pool. It can also introduce new ideas and perspectives into your business. These employees will want to make the most of the opportunity they have been given and will likely be amongst your most hardworking, loyal, and successful.
- Redesign work. Think about how it can be delivered. Reimagine possibilities of when and where – For example, there is an increasing trend with many of our clients to recruit roles in which the successful candidate can WFA (work from anywhere).
- Pay more – Our latest Workforce Insights report indicates that for the first time ever, an attractive salary is most important to IT professionals when considering new opportunities.
- Support staff and prioritise mental health to prevent people from quitting due to burnout – Australia Post made the historic decision to pause some of their services temporarily as a way to ease the stress on their systems and put the safety of their workforce first.
- Build your employer brand – Being known as a great place to work, with strong values and culture will help attract candidates when you need to hire.
To discuss recruitment and retention strategies in light of the Great Resignation, please reach out to your Clicks Account Manager or 1300 CLICKS for a confidential discussion. Clicks specialises in IT recruitment. Our recruiters average 12 years of industry experience, and we’re on over 80 Preferred Supplier Agreements. As Australia’s favourite IT recruiters, we can help you with strategic hiring and finding top talent, fast!
