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The Great Resignation UK resignations are at their highest point on record and come at a time when many employers are struggling to recruit staff. The CBI has predicted that UK businesses face up to two years' of labour shortages. The combination of world-wide supply chain problems, additional 'red tape' caused by Brexit and the loss of many EU workers make this a particularly challenging time for many employers. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why employees are actively looking for new jobs. But, the pandemic has certainly played a part and seems to have changed the way many workers think about where and how they work. The ongoing wave of resignations has exacerbated skills shortages as people move to roles that offer them better terms and conditions. Many employers are facing a ‘double wammy’ – they’re losing valuable existing staff and falling to attract new ones. What can be done? 1. Find out why people are leaving If you're seeing an exodus of people from your workplace, do you know why they are moving? Is it about pay? Or are they unhappy with other elements of the working environment? You won't know the answers to these questions unless you ask. Exit interviews are helpful but not everyone is willing to be honest about their reasons for leaving during a face to face interview and it can be helpful to ask them to complete a short survey as well as, or instead of, having a meeting. Once you have this information, you can ascertain whether there are any trends emerging and decide whether you can do anything to reduce the numbers of people leaving. 2. Conduct employee surveys Conducting regular surveys is a good way to test the pulse of your organisation and may help you to identify and resolve issues at an early stage. Staff will usually only answer surveys honestly if a) their responses are confidential b) you don't ask too many questions and concentrate on the important stuff and c) they have faith that the business will actually listen to what they say. You must be willing to share the results and explain what steps your organisation will take to make changes and how long you expect this to take. This requires open communication.
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Diamond Magazine
Charlotte Sloan
The ongoing wave of resignations has exacerbated skills shortages as people move to roles that offer them better terms 3. Invest in training Make sure that your staff know how you can help them improve their skills and progress within your organisation. Upskilling staff through training and development courses will help them to keep up to date with new and emerging technologies and the skills required in their role. Investing in comprehensive training programmes is also a great way to educate new employees who might lack experience in your sector. If you pay the Apprenticeship Levy, make sure that you are using your fund and that staff know that it's available to experienced and older members of staff and isn't limited to school leavers or new graduates. It might be helpful to also set up a mentorship scheme which matches experienced workers with new recruits. This can help bridge knowledge gaps and help more inexperienced staff feel supported.
