Why are millions of employees quitting their jobs during the pandemic?

The Great Resignation is an ongoing trend of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs during the pandemic. Typically discussed in relation to the US workforce, it may not have reached Australian waters yet, but it is predicted that it will.

The pandemic has made many people question their career or deeply question their role in life. This has awakened an awareness in many people, to call time on their jobs from frontline workers to senior executives.

In recent research by Microsoft, more than 40 percent of the global workforce are considering leaving their employers and we are on the brink of another disruption since the pandemic.

The current workforce is not content anymore with just going to work, they want to have their work enrich their life experience, they are interested in more than just a good salary, nice office and benefits. People are looking at the stresses within a job and choosing to be in a role they enjoy that gives them real balance, real flexibility and allows them to genuinely be there for family or just have more time for their real passions.

There has been a fundamental shift in how people think about the role of work in their lives. It is not just about ambition and money, but its about emphasizing other aspects of life.

Career Downsizing is being embraced whereby people look for a job involving fewer hours or with less responsibility and therefore, less stress. With the world having experienced so much uncertainty people are more accustomed to taking risks and trying new things. Its unlikely that the world will never return to pre-pandemic times and the number one change that is here to stay is hybrid working. Flexibility is here to stay!

In addition, as so many Australians have not travelled in the last two years many are looking forward to taking a break and as soon as international borders open, they’ll be catching up on overseas travel, visiting family and friends that they missed.

Businesses in Perth and Australia wide are unprepared for The Great Resignation, the movement of talent, and with the current low unemployment figures, and the highest online vacancy rates reaching a 13 year high, job advertising and increased recruitment activity, companies will have to start selling the work to employees.

SMEs across Australia and large corporates are going to have to reconfigure their work, their job roles, how a role is done to keep up with the new world. We will need to focus on the needs of employees and find a way to drive growth without overstretching teams and giving them the flexibility that has now become common place in all workplaces.

Vitil Outsourced Human Resources Consultants

Vitil People Solutions is a boutique HR consulting firm based across Perth and Australia, who offer flexible, reliable and affordable outsourced human resource support, people solutions and recruitment services, where your team is the key focus. Talk to the experts in these trying times. Our experienced professionals can objectively assess your environment and help with change implementation.

Contact us to discuss tailoring HR solutions to your business needs.

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