Francis Eberle
Updated: May 2, 2022
How To
How to develop a people strategy amid the Great Resignation
By Francis Eberle
Asking “What can my company do about the Great Resignation?” is the wrong question. The right question is: “How can we benefit from this shift and make it a Great Opportunity?”
Some 40% of employees are actively looking for a new job. They are searching for something different — and here lies your opportunity. Give them the opportunity to change their workplace. To involve employees in creating the company’s culture can be a competitive advantage in the employment market. This is what I call a ‘People Strategy.’
To develop a People Strategy, first think strategically and not reactively. If employee recruitment and retention are important, then you need to make your people a priority by aligning your human resource priorities with your organization’s overall strategies. Second, establish measurable goals. Third, establish objectives. Finally, ask relevant questions about how those goals will be achieved.
Involve your people in developing priorities because they know, better than anyone, what they would like to see change. Three priority areas might be your employees’ experience, opportunity and compensation. Start there, but recognize that your employees may have other ideas, and if they do, you should listen. For purposes of this article, let’s stick with these examples.
Employee experience.
You might set the following goal: Employees will feel they have some control by Sept. 30.
This goal could be supported by the following objectives:
- Employees shall have clear job expectations.
- Employees shall share values and motivating purposes.
- Employees shall have effective office workspaces.
Now you ask relevant questions:
Who will be involved in setting expectations? Who should be part of company discussions on value and purpose? Who assesses the effectiveness of the space? How do you determine whether employee expectations have been met? How do you establish effectiveness standards for hybrid, remote, and in-person work environments? How do you measure expectations and standards against value and purpose? What are reasonable expectations and standards?
Employee opportunity.
Your goal: Employees will know of opportunities and advancement possibilities by Oct. 31.
Your objectives might be:
- Employees are aware of opportunities.
- Employees have opportunities to lead.
- Employees have flexibility about where and when they work
The questions:
Who creates opportunities? Who communicates opportunities? Who gets the opportunities? How do you ensure that everyone has the information? How do you compare employees’ effectiveness when they work at different times? How do you ensure access to opportunities are inclusive? What leadership model should you follow? What are the appropriate measures of effectiveness? When should leadership roles change?
Employee compensation.
Your goal: Information, flexibility, time and dollars will be currencies here by Nov. 30.
Employees:
- Share information, both successes and challenges.
- May decide how to manage time away and, in the office.
- Have compensation options.
- Have uninterrupted time to work.
- Rethink meetings for purpose
Related questions:
What information should be shared so that everyone understands the big picture? What activities can only happen in an office setting? What compensation options do employees value? How do you distribute information? When should employees be able to divide their work time in and out of the office?
An ever-changing workplace.
Workplaces change, and always will. The Great Resignation has created both problems and opportunities, and both require a strategy that makes your workplace more human and attractive to your present and future employees. They are your best resource in making that happen. To gain a competitive advantage embrace the change and act now.
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