As an executive coach (with Vistage Worldwide), I work with CEOs who are struggling with the “Great Resignation”. They feel like victims; they’re committed to helping employees grow personally and professionally by increasing sales and profits for all to share, but now have to deal with another challenge – hiring new people to get the work done.
After many conversations, and an analysis of their workforce changes, we discover that they actually are losing fewer employees proportionally than many other companies. It led to a reframing, we call the “Great Exploration”. Many workers who left are new to the workforce or near retirement; unsure that they are in the right job, they are exploring options.
Supporting this reframe is a recent study that found 20% already have remorse! And, some are discovering it even before they start, as noted by a Wall Street Journal article on “ghosting” by recruits who don’t show up on their first day!
As a recent Forbes article notes, using the exploration re-frame, allows companies and individuals to find the “gift and opportunity” in this pattern. It’s giving workers a chance to grow professionally by developing soft and hard skills to make more meaningful contributions in their companies and/or communities, now and even more in the future.
We know that using automation, digital transformation, RPA, etc. means we can significantly reduce the extent to which people do routine, data-related jobs that computers can do faster, 24/7, and without human fatigue errors. Estimates are 25-40%! Engaging them in more strategic activities (e.g., client-facing, creative and/or collaborative), with a team-of-teams structure makes people more efficient and effective.
Now, imagine having high-potential recent recruits enrolled in a 2-years leader development program in to acquire the skills to be fast-tracked for future leadership positions. Such employees stay and grow with the company; with faster and smarter growth, both company and employee experience the “Great Elevation”.
Indeed, Vistage’s new Emerging Leadership program does! When workers learn that you’re investing time and money over two years in their career development using expert workshops, mentoring with managers and accountability-pods, you’ve launched an “antidote” to the “Great Resignation! (See the Emerging Leader Program and the 12 Leadership Competencies for details.)
As a Vistage Chair, I’m launching one such group in NY; other Chairs are launching them in other states. Most are physical; some are virtual. Let’s help individuals elevate themselves and companies elevate their workforce’s ability to grow smarter and faster in the future!