Every second professional has changed their job since the pandemic started. And the numbers for the IT industry are even more shocking.
But why change the job when more people than ever can’t pay rent and even get enough food? To find out the answer, take a look at the job market dynamics.
The higher the salary, the lower the probability of losing the job during COVID-19.
Senior employees know that they’re demanded and irreplaceable. Some even say they’re treated like celebrities. That’s an apparent reason why they have never been afraid to look for a higher-paid position.
But then, the pandemic – with its remote work, constant isolation, and a burden of routine tasks – has also given rise to a ‘new’ mental state called ‘languishing’. It's a feeling of being so joyless and aimless it eventually causes the desire to change a stable job for 'postpandemic adventures,’ as the New York Times puts it.
Hence the unseen attrition rates among businesses.
Within Brilliant Consulting, we believe reducing team-related risks with new hires is too slow and unpredictably expensive. Instead, we put effort into reducing attrition according to our Tech Atlas. And here are five ways to do it.
1. Introduce the meeting-free day
The sky-rocketed popularity of Zoom allowed psychologists to pay more attention to how those virtual meetings affect our mental health.
And the news isn’t good.
"Zoom fatigue" can have both short-term and long-term consequences, from getting too tired to having regular headaches and anxiety.
The easiest thing you can do as a leader is introduce a day with no virtual meetings.
2. Allow days off for community events
Back in 2017, GlassDoor showed 80%+ of employees would prefer extra days off than salary raises. But if it comes just as a predetermined perk at your job, it will lose value over time.
Instead, you can notice which community events are important for your employees and let them take free days off during those events.
Someone's kid fond of dinosaurs? Give them rest on Dinosaur Day.
Have Hindu people on board? Let them celebrate Diwali.
Paying such attention will show that you care about your employees’ culture and interests – in addition to their well-being.
3. Be flexible with remote work
Remote work has its pros and cons. Everybody has their own opinion on it.
Instead of looking for a perfect formula, let the people decide how they prefer to work. Often, they won't know for sure and will need to experiment to see how often they want to visit an office. Over time, the team will be happy to understand they work according to the schedule they find best.
Stats confirm it: a staggering 81% of people would be more loyal to their bosses if they could be flexible regarding their work options.
4. Employ remote-native ways of working
When more than half of the Internet traffic started coming through mobile devices, web developers switched to building mobile-first websites. It was just much easier to make a web version of a site already optimized for smaller screens.
The same now happens with the work processes. Distributed teams are our future, and it's best to organize their work in a way that will allow them to go remote at any time.
5. Talk to your team
If a team member has already reported that they're leaving, you have virtually no chances to stop them. However, there's always a reason why they're leaving that you could notice and address early.
Talking to your team members personally is the best way for that. Often, people might not even pay attention to their burnout or discontent. But they will show it anyway in their speech and behavior.
As a company authority, you might be the only person who can understand them and do something about their problems. That’s why talking is a crucial way to help them overcome their difficulties.
You can also learn about their hobbies and culture and adjust their work schedule correspondingly during these conversations. A better work/life balance and the feeling of being more productive and engaged in work are two of many extra outcomes of such talks.
Bottom line
Employees leaving for a higher salary, a different career, or due to health problems will always be there. To cope with that, practice continuous hiring.
In other cases, seek ways to retain your people, not replace them. But instead of asking them how to make them happy, be proactive and pay attention to their mental health.
That’s the only way to build long-lasting relationships your team will appreciate and cherish.