The Great Resignation and The Great Regret
Due to the pandemic lockdown and other restrictions/regulations related to managing a virus over the last two years, people reassessed their lives. They were working from home, or maybe not working at all, and were influenced to make changes in their job that might make their life better or more fulfilling.
Businesses of all kinds, including nonprofits, faced staff shortages and the related consequences of employees demanding higher compensation and expanded benefits. Some government assistance programs put in place during the initial lockdown, such as extended unemployment benefits, encouraged individuals to stay home rather than go to work which (Captain Obvious here) severely affected the available workforce.
But now that the crisis has diminished somewhat, and we are not feeling so threatened, another assessment is occurring. Dear readers, I bring you news of The Great Regret.
According to a report on Fox Business, 72% of the people who resigned from their past job now regret it.
The survey was conducted by The Muse:
Seven out of ten workers — about 72% — admitted that they were surprised to learn that their new roles or companies were different from what they were led to believe during the interview process, according to the survey of more than 2,500 millennial and Gen Z job seekers by The Muse.
Source: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/workers-regret-quitting-great-resignation
It seems that some companies were not forthcoming or honest about what the jobs were going to be like. People are regretting not knowing what they were getting into with the new job so the act of moving didn’t necessarily make things better or more exciting.
We all get excited about opportunities and the chance to do something different or new. In a time of crisis, we can also feel a sense of exhilaration that we need to seize the day and make our life “different.” But different is not always better, and change is not always good.
Whether it’s the Great Resignation or the Great Regret, as always happens, the pendulum swings back the other way and for a time balance is restored. Until it swings again.
The Great Resignation will wind down and the employment market will shift again. Will we have just the right number of employees? Or will we again be receiving 200 resumes for one position opening?
Dealing with the “employee market” will not last forever, but the current reality is that employers must increase salaries and wages and provide broader benefits packages to recruit and retain staff. Looking ahead, strategies and workplace policies must be in place for managing compensation expectations in the future, or the next phase could be The Great Layoff.
Follow up to our Question about “Why did you get the CAE?”
A few weeks ago, we asked our readers what they thought about the CAE designation. Why did they get it? What value does it bring?
Interestingly, we heard from two readers and their responses were on each end of the spectrum. One reader noted that after having the CAE designation for over 20 years, they really didn’t find it valuable to their career, so they let it lapse. Another reader responded they found the CAE highly valuable personally, as it fueled their ongoing learning and professional development.
Like all value judgments, the value of the CAE designation is highly subjective. We have yet to reach all members of the nonprofit community with the Value Proposition message of the designation.
This week’s question:
Should Boards of Directors be held accountable for their job performance? If so, how could that be accomplished (without dropping a dime to the IRS)? Share your thoughts! Send them to cecilia@roguetulips.com [Names are not used without permission.]
