leadercommunicator blog

The trend of employees leaving their jobs in droves is real and escalating, as we learned this month from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which announced that 4.3 million Americans – 2.9% of the workforce – quit their jobs in August. It was a record-breaking statistic, mirroring previous months of high numbers.

What adds to the concern is the fact that many of those employees who haven’t already left are thinking about it. According to Bankrate’s August 2021 Job Seeker Survey, 55% of Americans who are either employed or looking for a job say they are likely to look for new employment in the next 12 months.

The “Great Resignation” is one of the biggest concerns facing employers, a trend of quitting like nothing we’ve seen before in business.

Are we doing enough for workers who – in many cases – don’t have the option of doing their job from home?

I’m talking about frontline workers such as truck drivers, those who take care of the sick at hospitals, serve coffee in quick service restaurants, work in manufacturing plants, labs, distribution centers, and many others.

As organizations find the right balance between company goals and employee preferences, and improving the employee experience to reduce the "Great Resignation," it seems that in many cases the loudest employees are getting the most attention, with the exception of those going on strike during “Striketober.”

What's Working to Engage and Retain Frontline Workers

The COVID-19 global pandemic created shockwaves well beyond the state of public health. In fact, Gallup attributes the outbreak as a major factor in why, after a steady rise over the last decade, employee engagement decreased globally by two percentage points, from 22% in 2019 to 20% in 2020. Now, leaders must work to find ways to address this decrease and the business impact it has on workplace culture, employee retention and performance.

Finding the Right Balance

Welcome to my weekly round-up of the best-of-the-best recent leadership and communication blog posts. 

This Week's Round-Up of Leadership and Communication Blogs:

• Why Are People Really Leaving Their Jobs? The Whole Reason Can Be Summed Up in 4 Words
  By Marcel Schwantes (@MarcelSchwantes via @Inc), Inc.
  
  A recent survey finds that a majority of employees have feedback to share with their employers and are happy to share it, but leaders don't seem to be listening.
  
  “As the 'Great Resignation' continues to rock companies across industries, employers are searching for answers. Higher pay, Covid burnout, and a lack of career-development opportunities have been cited as factors. But that's not the whole story. Explorance, a leader in experience management (XM) solutions, recently commissioned a survey of 2,000 U.S. part- and full-time-employed adults to probe the hidden drivers behind the sudden employee exodus. ...”
  Read more >>

I heard an interesting comparison recently. When you see people on the street talking to themselves, we think just that: they’re talking to themselves. Yet what do we call it when we talk to ourselves inside organizations? “Marketing or communications.” 

Unfortunately, that type of talking to oneself—where leaders speak TO their own understanding and perspectives instead of engaging WITH employees—happens too frequently. And the consequences can be significant. 

This is the time of year I like to reflect on what’s worked well over the past several months, so I can take what has forward as I plan for the year ahead. If you find yourself with a few extra minutes, take a look here at some of our recent most-read content. There’s a great variety of posts with quick tips and strategies to help you lead and communicate in engaging ways.

Top content ranges from how to create an internal communications plan and when and when not to use email, to advice from leaders I’ve interviewed on showing their human side and building a more inclusive and diverse workplaces. There’s also guidance on how to answer difficult questions from your team, retain employees, communicate in a crisis, and more.

Top 10 Blogs on Leadership & Communication in Q3 2021

Has the pandemic created two classes of employees – those who can work from home and those who can’t? Separate and unequal?

For those who had an option to work from home, video calls quickly became the norm, and for many, so did keeping the kids occupied and helping with homework in between calls. This new arrangement offered opportunities and challenges they never anticipated.

Employee Mindset Shift

Call it the "Great Resignation,” “Tsunami Turnover,” or “Big Quit.” By any name, it describes the unprecedented shift companies are experiencing due to a staggering transformation of the American workforce.

Employee Resignation Studies Point to the Workplace

And as recent data shows from multiple studies, as well as our experience with clients, it’s a workplace issue.

Welcome to my weekly round-up of the best-of-the-best recent leadership and communication blog posts. 

This Week's Round-Up of Leadership and Communication Blogs:

• Seventeen Best Ways to Retain Employees in Today's Workplaces
  By Brett Farmiloe (@BrettFarmiloe via @SHRM), SHRM
  
  17 HR professionals and business leaders weigh in on how companies can retain their employees in today's environment.
  
  “From sharing the job incentives that matters most today to highlighting employee wellness trends in hybrid workplaces, there are several ways to retain employees at your organization. Here are the best employee retention strategies to retain employees in today’s workplace:...”
  Read more >>

When words and actions don’t match as we’re listening; when we have a sense that something’s not quite feeling right in a conversation, there’s a common formula known as the 7-38-55 rule that might be helpful. It indicates only 7 percent of meaning is conveyed through the words we speak, and the remaining percent of meaning is informed by tone of voice (38 percent) and body language (55 percent). When there’s incongruence, a vast majority of the information shared is gleaned from what is NOT being said.