The pandemic has undoubtedly thrown the world economy into a loop. While some are being forced out of work due to layoffs, others are leaving on their own — so many of them, the movement has been termed the “Great Resignation.”
According to a Gallup poll conducted earlier this year, 48 percent of the American workforce was actively seeking a new job.
What is prompting people to give up? According to Jon Clifton, global managing partner at Gallup, the issue isn’t salary or even COVID-19 repercussions. Clifton told Axios on Thursday that Gallup research suggests the true problem is employee disengagement.
Gallup discovered three of the most common factors for employee disengagement at work:
- Not seeing opportunities for development
- Not feeling connected to the company’s purpose
- Not having strong relationships at work
According to the survey, companies and managers must ensure those three things for their employees if they want to enhance retention.
The majority of American workers surveyed – 64 percent – said they were dissatisfied with their jobs. Nonetheless, according to Clifton, the share of engaged workers is increasing with time.
“One reason is because management strategies are changing,” he said.
Companies often do not promote people to managerial positions because they’re good at what they do. Rather, they view management as a skill in and of itself, and they ensure that people are capable of managing others before assigning them more direct reports. According to Clifton, good managers result in more engaged staff and lower turnover.
Employees who are actively interested in their work are significantly less likely to quit. Gallup discovered that they would need to be offered a 20 percent wage rise to even consider leaving.