Resignations at Times of Upward Unemployment

The Great Resignation…

The ultimate “buzz word” that has been keeping everyone across the corporate tier on their toes.

Unlike the crisis faced during the Great Recession of 2008, where employees clung to their jobs while employers fired them like flies, there has been an upsurge in the number of employees putting down their papers and employers clinging onto them.

But what’s driving this great resignation?

One of the most popular theories behind this phenomenon is that for many professionals the time at home during the lockdown has been an eye-opener towards their needs and goals. Many have had got the required time to assess and evaluate their career goals in accordance with their personal goals.

For many, it is a matter of work-life balance. It is a tough decision taken from the exhaustion of being burnt out, overworked or frustration stemming from underappreciation.

Anthony Klotz, an associate professor of management at Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, coined the term ‘Great Resignation’ and predicted the mass worker exodus in May 2021. He also predicts that departures are “really something that could have lasting change”.

[Ref: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211028-what-were-getting-wrong-about-the-great-resignation]

But taking a bird’s eye view we are missing the key point.

You cannot expect productivity to rise with unhappy workers.

Remember we are already struggling with matching employees with a certain skill set to the right job.

So, if an employee has resigned after realizing their true potential or talent, chances are that someone is going to find this job perfect for them will be looking forward to bringing their fullest to the desk.

From the employee’s point of view, this could be a win-win situation as they can finally reap the benefits of being satisfied in their workplace. Being happy with one’s work leads to realizing one’s full potential to grow. When the individual works towards growth, they drive the momentum of growth for the entire organization as well.

To the ones who have quit after being burnt out: the pandemic has surely been a nightmare for our health. It is high time to priorities your health, seek support and evaluate your thoughts and actions. Your career can take a pause your health cannot.

So, the Great Resignation or the Big Quit may not be a worrying situation after all.

On the flip side, many individuals have taken the leap of entrepreneurship and innovation. Never in history had that golden combination failed when seasoned with a pinch of perseverance and commitment.

An another group are desperate to come back to office. But more about that in another blog…