DEFEATING THE “GREAT RESIGNATION”:
How to Increase Employee Retention & Decrease Turnover by Michael Mercer, Ph.D.
Employee Resignation: OMG! Employees are resigning in record numbers. In a recent month, a record 4.53 million workers quit their jobs, according to U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
REASONS for THE GREAT RESIGNATION
Recent research on “The Great Resignation” conducted by Zety found main reasons for quitting are employees disliking
> 67% = Low Salary
> 66% = Limited Career Opportunities
> 65% = “Not being valued by my manager”
> 65% = “Relationship with my colleagues”
> 55% = “Being forced to return to on-site work after working remotely”
A Price Waterhouse Cooper survey found 71% surveyed would change jobs for more pay, and 69% for more job fulfillment.
Here are solutions you can implement immediately:
SOLUTION #1 = ASSIGN EMPLOYEES TO WORK THEY ENJOY
People want higher pay, but they will not stay if their work is unfulfilling or emotionally dissatisfying. Here is easy way to make more fulfilling work for each employee.
First, find out what type of work each employee feels enthused to do. Second, make sure that employee’s duties focus on those enthusiasms.
For example, I consulted to a security company that complained its employees would quit for a higher paying job, and it could not afford pay increases.
So, I helped that security company pinpoint what type of work its low-turnover employees did. Lo-&-behold it discovered its low-turnover employees mainly enjoyed working as
“Detectives” or “Greeters”:
“Detectives” enjoyed finding and stopping wrongdoing in sites where they worked.
“Greeters” enjoyed working at a building’s Front Desk greeting people as they entered or exited.
So, they assigned their Detectives to be “Roamers” who spend their work shifts looking for possible trouble to stop.
“Greeters” were assigned to work at building Front Desk, creating friendly atmosphere as they greeted people coming into buildings where they worked.
Employees who did not have heart-felt thrill working as Detectives or Greeters were resigning in droves. So, this security company focused on assigning employees to the Detective or Greeter job that best fulfilled their sense of fulfillment.
Result = The company had wonderful employees and low turnover!
SOLUTION #2 = HIRE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE LIKE YOUR LOW-TURNOVER SUPERSTARS
Another way to decrease turnover is to hire employees who are “clones” or very similar to your Superstars who are both low-turnover + highly productive.
The most scientific method is to use pre-employment tests that validly measure interpersonal styles, personality traits, work motivations, and mental abilities.
Start by having your Superstars in each job take the pre-employment tests. Use their typical scores as your benchmark scores for their job.
Then, when job applicants take the tests, you focus on considering or hiring applicants whose pre-hire test scores are same (or very close) to your Superstar’s benchmark test scores.
Voila! You are using a consistent and scientific technique to “clone” your low turnover + highly productive Superstars.
I have done this with many companies using research-based pre-employment tests I created, my “Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™ Tests.”
SOLUTION #3 = WONDERFUL MANAGERS CREATE LOW-TURNOVER WORK ATMOSPHERE
Make list of your company’s managers who have low turnover in their department versus managers who have high turnover. What do those low turnover managers do that your high-turnover managers do not do?
In my research that resulted in my keynote speeches and seminars on “Creating a Happy, Optimistic & Productive Workplace,” I found key actions done by managers whose employees were low-turnover and highly productive.
First, those managers hired Superstars using pre-employment tests with custom-tailored benchmark test scores. That was their consistent and scientific way to low-turnover + highly productive Superstars.
Second, those managers created an upbeat, positive, optimistic workplace. This included insisting employees use optimism non-stop during their workday.
For example, they insisted their employees optimistically focus on solutions and making things better. Also, they insisted their employees not focus on problems like pessimists habitually do.
These actions created an enjoyable, optimistic, positive workplace in their departments.
YOU CAN STOP THE GREAT RESIGNATION NOW
Go for it! I gave you three solutions to decrease turnover and increase retention.
You immediately can put these solutions into action so you will not be impacted by the Great Resignation that many organizations face. Go for it!
For more information of this and other hiring + HR topics please visit www.MercerSystems.com
COPYRIGHT 2022 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.
