PANDEMIC ENDING: WHAT'S AHEAD FOR HIRING IN 2021?
Before we look ahead I wanted to review some of the big changes in the workplace that have occurred since March of 2020. Some of the biggest impacts in the workplace included;
Employers had to implement telework rapidly to maintain productivity just to maintain and keep their office operations running smoothly.
Employees had to rapidly shift or balance homeschooling duties within their household due to school closings.
These impacts were felt unevenly across the country especially in households that had front-line workers with dual-income families. While companies actually discovered that productivity was not negatively impacted, many challenges emerged for managing work in this way for both employers and employees. This has kept most of the workforce preoccupied and focused on getting through the pandemic putting their plans for career development and job changes on hold.
According to experts and recent surveys, many workers plan to change jobs once the pandemic ends and hiring accelerates. This is according to a survey conducted for the Society for Human Resource Management, (SHRM) by Danny Nelms, president of The Work Institute, a research and consulting firm that focuses on employee engagement and retention. This survey shows that as many as half of workers intend to look for a new job this year. They are calling this a potential Turnover ‘Tsunami’ beginning in the latter half of 2021.
"Company leaders are still knee-deep dealing with the pandemic, but they have to look ahead to fend off a talent tsunami," said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. "Our poll reveals that 57 percent of U.S. employees say they are burnt out. Both Millennials and women report higher levels of burnout, as do employees with kids remote learning at home. Leaving is often viewed as the best option for employees to address burnout. And when the economy and labor markets get healthier, some employees may feel they have no other choice."
Here are some of the reasons cited for workers starting to seek new employment;
Workers are burnt out - surveys show workers are working more not less driven by a need to show their bosses they are productive.
Workers are disconnected from their companies. Bosses are struggling with managing remote employees.
Workers are seeking better compensation, career advancement or a career pivot.
Workers are seeking a better work-life balance.
At my desk as a recruiter, I am also hearing from my clients that retirements accelerated during the pandemic. Many people decided to make a career decision to exit the workforce due to the pressures from this unprecedented time period.
The reason I feel that the SHRM survey is valid is due to comments I’ve heard from candidates over the past year. During the pandemic, many candidates have expressed a reluctance to change jobs due to the household disruption caused by a number of factors.
Here are some of the reasons given to me by executives and middle managers alike:
School closings impacted many two-income households.
It’s not the right time - too much uncertainty.
Fear of losing or changing medical coverage.
Caring for an at-risk family member.
Many candidates have communicated to me that once the pandemic is over they would be interested in exploring a new opportunity.
So right now is the time and an opportunity to sharpen your recruitment and retention plans.
Advice for Employers:
Jezior advised companies to embrace the idea that business strategy and workforce planning will look different post-pandemic and get started on identifying the talent, skills, and roles that will be necessary to prosper once the health crisis passes. "There is a knee-jerk reaction that often happens when managing turnover," she said. "Companies default to backfilling roles with the same skills. But bouncing forward means identifying and cultivating new skills through upskilling, reskilling and in hiring practices."
Other recommendations for stemming the expected tide of turnover include:
Keeping top performers engaged. "Companies should identify and engage high performers for obvious reasons—and because studies show they are the most susceptible to burnout," Jezior said. "To help A players feel valued and excited about staying with them, companies should focus on their career growth, offer stretch exposure and exclusive training, and be more transparent about career progression and compensation."
Recognizing employees. The Achievers report found that 74 percent of employees want more recognition for their work. "Training managers on effective recognition and holding them accountable for recognizing their teams regularly is critical to keeping employees engaged," Baumgartner said.
Listening to employees. "During this crisis, companies have had to do a lot of talking to employees about everything from policy changes to the logistics of remote work," Jezior said. "But it is equally important to listen to them. By conducting employee surveys, encouraging open-door exchanges, and providing career counseling and mentorship opportunities, companies can create a supportive environment."
Career Pathing Conversations. One of the biggest differentiators in the qualifications of great leaders is their ability to engage with their team and provide them with an opportunity to discuss how they are doing and discuss career growth? Not a performance review, a chance for you to ask them about how they are doing, and provide dialogue and feedback on their career aspirations.
Career Pathing conversations are an opportunity to schedule and encourage these open exchanges through pre-planned lunches or just a meeting to have coffee. If a great employee is getting ready to fly away from the nest, you will have a good chance of either preventing it by giving them meaningful assignments or it will help you get prepared from an organizational standpoint.
If you have a top employee the reality is that you’ll never be able to retain every one of them and fuel their career ambitions and goals. When great people leave, it usually turns out that they have prepared someone to step in right behind them. It took me many years to realize that when someone leaves there is always someone that will bring a whole new set of ideas to the table. Even great coaches and leaders lose people because there is not always room to grow.
Reference: SHRM Talent Acquisition article. Turnover ‘Tsunami’ Expected Once Pandemic Ends
Want more hiring tips?
Bill O’Malley is President of Connector Team Recruiting a firm headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia specializing in the Furniture | Appliance and Sleep verticals. Connector Team is an affiliate office of MRINETWORK, Philadelphia, PA. Connector Team is a full service Search Firm offering permanent placement recruiting and interim staffing solutions.
Feel free to contact Bill at bill@connectorteamrecruiting.com.