Why more and more people want to change jobs due to the pandemic and what to do with this desire

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Both employees and entrepreneurs will have to adapt to the new conditions.

Is it true that people are changing jobs more often?

Yes, it does happen all over the world.

So, in April, May and June 2021 in the United States, 11.5 million people quit their jobs. This is almost 3% of the total workforce in the country. Such indicators have never been seen in the last 20 years. The same thing happened in European countries: in Germany, 6% of employees quit in the pandemic, in the UK - 4, 7, in the Netherlands - 2, 9, in France - 2, 3. And they quit, and were not fired.

More people want to change jobs. So, in March 2021, Microsoft published the results of a study on changes in workflows. The specialists engaged by the company interviewed more than 31 thousand people from 31 countries, and also analyzed data from LinkedIn and Microsoft's web services for business.

41% of those surveyed said they plan to quit or change jobs. In previous years, the figure was much lower: 30% in 2020 and 31% in 2019.

This trend goes against the normal behavior of people in hard times. So, at the beginning of the pandemic, workers tried with all their might to maintain their current place, and now, when the situation in the world is still unstable, they began to quit. Western media named 1.

2.

3. This tendency is "great retirement" or "great exodus".

What does the pandemic have to do with it

She changed her lifestyle. And apparently, this is one of the main reasons for what is happening. As the authors of the Microsoft study emphasize, the pandemic first forced all companies to abruptly switch to remote work, and then, almost as suddenly, employees began to return to their offices.

And many did not like it.

Someone, for example, realized that he likes to stay at home with children more. Some, during isolation, found a new job in their lives or simply realized that their work was not to their liking. Others felt that the risk of infection was still high.

And the rest simply did not want to leave the distance and work in the office again, because they realized the benefits of flexible hours and working from home. For example, 73% of employees surveyed wanted flexibility in terms of the need to visit the workplace.

What to do if you have an irresistible urge to quit

If it seems to you that you, too, are ready to join the "great exodus", do not rush. Here's how to proceed.

Weigh the pros and cons carefully

Restrictions, masks, the impossibility of free movement - all these are sources of stress and anxiety. Because of them, it is easy to succumb to emotions and make the wrong decision. Therefore, before quitting, consider whether your desire is too impulsive.

For example, try writing down the pros and cons of your current location on a piece of paper. At the same time, try to clearly reflect the reasons for your dissatisfaction. For example, not “everyone pisses me off” or “it’s hard for me”, but “my colleagues do not respect each other” or “they overload me”. It may well turn out that there are much more advantages.

Talk to your superiors

Perhaps something can be fixed, and the problem will be solved by itself. For example, if you are afraid of getting infected on the way to work, ask to be transferred to a remote location. Or explain that you have more tasks than a single employee can handle. Try to clearly, reasonably and without emotion convey your concerns or discontent. This way you have a better chance of being listened to.

Try to take a vacation

For many, the pandemic was indeed a test. It is no coincidence that during the “great exodus,” workers in the sectors with the greatest workload were most often dismissed: medicine, education and the service sector.

Quitting often is directly related to burnout at work. It can turn anyone into an irritable cynic, lead to depression and insomnia, increase alcohol cravings, weaken immunity, and increase the risk of certain diseases. For example, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Therefore, it is very important to rest and not take on undue stress.

If you haven't been on vacation for a long time or you feel so tired that you want to give up everything, try taking a break. Take a vacation and get some rest. Only for real: no work chats or reports brought home.

This will help you reboot and gain strength. Perhaps you will realize that you only wanted to quit your job because of extreme fatigue. Or the vacation will only strengthen your decision to quit. In this case, it will also be useful. This will take a little break from the boring work and make time for finding a new one.

Make sure

Before writing a letter of resignation and carrying it for signature, it is worth thinking about the future. So, if you are going to change the field of activity, it would be nice to get an education in a new field in your free time. For example, take refresher courses. If you are just tired of your old job, before quitting, look for good vacancies, go to interviews.

Also, save some money, because, as statistics show, on average it takes 2-3 months to find a job. Therefore, it is worth stocking up on finances in advance and not leaving the old place until a new one is found.

If you quit, quit in an amicable way

Even if the previous job looked like hell, you shouldn't leave it by slamming the door loudly. For example, tell your boss or colleagues when you leave what you think about them or about the company.

There are also less aggressive ways to “go badly”. For example, having submitted a letter of resignation, the two remaining working weeks are recklessly collecting Klondike solitaire and flipping through memes about cats.

A Taco Bell employee from West Virginia celebrates his final day of work by jumping into the kitchen sink.

It is better to quit your job in an amicable way: finish the job, normally say goodbye to colleagues and bosses. This way you can provide yourself with good feedback and recommendations for your new employer. In addition, you will have contacts and connections that can be useful if necessary.

What employers can do

If you are running a company and are afraid of a “great exodus,” consider adopting a hybrid model. This is when employees come to the office only when necessary.

Microsoft believes that it will not be possible to return to the standard organization of the workflow with a visit to the office from nine in the morning until six in the evening. Many large companies seem to have to adhere to a similar opinion. For example, Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter.

There are many advantages to a hybrid strategy. It allows you to search for employees without being tied to a specific location, gives employees freedom of choice and movement, as well as a sense of comfort, and has a positive effect on productivity.

But there are also problems associated with this model of work. So, in teams where joint efforts are needed, cooperation decreases. As a result, they come up with fewer out-of-the-box solutions and innovations. The intensity of the working day is growing because you have to hold more meetings and meetings, as well as communicate in work chats. As a result, employees get tired of being constantly online.

Here's what you can do to adapt to the new environment.

Invest in workspace and technology

This is necessary to provide employees with everything they need - from equipment to office supplies - no matter where they are. It is also worth working on the arrangement of the office or workspace. It is important that employees want to go there. It is necessary to make the premises cozy and comfortable, create spaces for relaxation and communication.

Fight digital exhaustion

People who go online are forced to spend more time and energy on performing work tasks. Therefore, it is worth optimizing remote interaction between team members. For example, create a single task manager, train all employees how to use it, establish basic rules for business correspondence and calls. You also need to encourage and respect people's right to take breaks.

Make social connections between employees a priority for the company

With the move to hybrid or fully telecommuting, opportunities to communicate or get help are especially valuable. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain active interaction with and between subordinates. For example, hold informal meetings.

Listen more to the requests of employees and job seekers

And this applies not only to the ability to choose between working in the office or from home. Employees want a more human approach: to be listened to, their opinions and work to be appreciated, and relationships become more transparent. To achieve this, many leaders will have to rethink their management methods.