You’ve heard of the Great Resignation, but are you giving it much thought? Or has it basically become a firestorm of rehires and working with the staff and tools that you have, i.e., just getting by?

As an IT provider, we’re here to help you put some thought and planning into your staffing situation and determine how you can wind up with reengagement instead of just resignation within your small to midsize business. Are your employees and operations burned to their melting point? There are so many situations that can be solved by tapping technology.

People quitting costs your business in many ways. Production, recruiting costs, onboarding and training, and lost production. Let’s look at what is happening in your business and with your employees to start uncovering opportunities. Keep in mind, it’s not uncommon for companies to turn to their IT provider for how to use technology to improve communications and company culture with communication tools and digital transformation. Read on and we’ll float some ideas which hopefully spark many more!

Is the great resignation your opportunity for the great reengagement?

As a business owner or manager, you must deal with people resigning, why not make the best of it and come out on top and ahead of the competition? Is the glass half full or half empty? Take advantage of what other companies or your competition are not. I know that if you sat and brainstormed with your key players and team leads you would come up with a whole host of ways to become a more effective organization.

First, face the realities

Facing the realities, writing them down, investigating them, and turning to look at the situation differently can really help you with a breakthrough for your business.

Here is a series of questions about your business to get you started:

What has happened in your business and marketplace since COVID hit? What is still occurring now? Has the winter of 2022 taken you back to remote work and COVID precautions? Are you a business that thrived during COVID because what you sold was desperately needed? Or have profits drifted down or into the red? What goals did you hit, which did you miss? What goals do you need to set aside to focus on the opportunities?

Here are some questions relative to employees:

How were employees working before the pandemic? How were they working during? And how were they working starting the summer of 2021 and into the fall? Was change embraced? And by what staff? Which staff resisted or had a hard time with change? What frustrations were all your employees experiencing, whether they like change or not.

According to Foundr resignation rates fell from workers in the 20-25 age range and 60-70 age group, while employees that were 25-30 and 45+ age groups had higher resignation rates. Employees between 30 and 45 years had the highest increase in resignation rates. Was this true for your organization or did it differ? What researchers are finding is that this age group can make changes and easily step into new roles.

Be certain to collect as much research possible. 

First within your company and, through secondary research by looking online. This will help you map your plan and face what is happening with information and knowledge at your fingertips.

Create a new approach based on the employee research you gathered

Where can you offer opportunities within your company that would appeal to those that are resigning? Possibly for your company it is the 20-25 age range that is leaving and not the 30-45, or the 60-70 age group is retiring. Maybe it isn’t even age that distinguishes why employees have left. People are looking at their priorities, needs, and family situation to determine what changes they need to make. Jump ahead and offer ways in which they can make changes and stay at your company.

The Foundr article references our current business recruiting and hiring situation as the Great Reshuffle, as many Americans are going through the process of quitting and looking for new jobs.

Turning the tide on what you’ve lost, to what you can gain

First, do you see how this exercise and research helps you become a better employer and company? With opportunities for greater profit and an engaged workplace? Do you see ways in which you can become more intentional, and purpose driven as a company? If not, you may want to revisit the questions and answers you are coming up with.

Involve your IT provider about your goals and what you want to accomplish. They will have suggestions as to what changes can be made to current applications or systems, as well if you would benefit from adding any applications.

Here are just a few ideas based on common workplace goals:

1. Improve communications: Use tools and create opportunities for communications. Applications like Slack, Microsoft Teams and video conferencing systems provide features for team members to keep in touch and use with clients as well.
2. Remote meetings vs. in person: Zoom fatigue became something real in 2020-2021, however there are ways to improve the experience and mix things up. Empower your work from home staff to bring creative ideas to the table, while at the same time hold some in-person meetings when appropriate and safe for attendees.
3. Reduce work disruptions: Use messaging tools to reach out for information and allow staff to respond as they can fit it in and prioritize the timeline. Many companies create communication plans and procedures which guide employees on the right tool to use based on the priority. Phone calls are for emergencies, but Teams channel messages can be looked at a few times a day and responded to.
4. Know and use the tools: So many times, companies tend to roll out applications with little time for training. Allow your staff time to dig into training videos and documentation to improve their skills. They will become more productive! Another idea is to assign a power user. Someone who enjoys digging into learn programs and then train others. This is particularly helpful when the company has specific ways they want to use a tool.

Can we help?

Luckily, we live in a world where technology continues to connect us, despite the pandemic trying to drive us apart. Here at CoreTech, we want to set you up for success, not just with providing you with secure IT support, but helping you create a healthy work environment, too.

Are there other ways you thought of to keep employees engaged and thriving? Leave them in the comments section below, we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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