How to get your employees to stick around when they walk out the door on one foot

As a leader, the more human you are, the more your employees will respond.

A record 4.5 million workers quit their jobs in November, a sign the mass quits aren't slowing down. The current surge in omicron has just added to the general instability felt by everyone around the world. Everything hangs in the balance - from things at work to things in our personal lives. Simply put, it's overwhelming. The ongoing tsunami of turnover has left leaders in a constant state of uncertainty about their workforce. Are your people resigning? What can you do?

You may see signs that employees are restless and ready to leave, but what is the reality? Harvard Business Review authors Timothy M. Gardner and Peter W. Hom describe a range of signs and signals when someone is about to quit, including the following:

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They lose enthusiasm for the mission, the client or the organization.

They show less effort and motivation than usual.
They pay less attention to work-related matters than usual.
They express dissatisfaction with their current job more frequently than usual.

These are normal signs for employees to go out. But things are no longer normal. The stress of the global pandemic and all the stresses of our lives—children, school, working from home, going back to the office, dealing with parents and illness—has transformed the employee experience.

Lettalk commissioned the 2021 Harris Poll, focusing on exploring current employee attitudes towards mental health and work. The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 full-time workers between July 29 and August 2, found a huge correlation between stress and big quits. Among those considering resignation:

80% said they were exhausted
43% have difficulty sleeping due to stress
39% feel grumpy
The fascinating part is that the numbers are low but present, even for those not considering quitting:

39% said they were exhausted
30% have trouble sleeping due to stress
21% feel grumpy

These are difficult times for employees and leaders around the world. As stress becomes more prevalent, the normal warning signs that an employee is about to leave becomes blurred.

So, as a leader, what can you do? Now is a good time to take a step back and stop and think: What exactly is the problem you need to solve? What result do you want to achieve? Right now, you're probably focusing on how you can proactively help your employees. This can start with getting more of humanity to work. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Kazuyoshi Sanwa

stay curious

Your employees may be under pressure like never before. In times of uncertainty and change, the most important aspect of working with people is creating an environment where people feel safe and build trust. What do they need to "feel safe"? Not to ask them later, but today. The very act of asking can build a sense of security, and they may give you some important clues about how to build a culture of trust.

Open the door to these conversations with genuine curiosity. Ask what they need right now and be open to all feedback. What can you do to reduce stress in their lives - more time off, longer schedules for projects? By being curious, you build the trust they need to share now. It also shows your employees that you don't know all the answers either; you're human too. From there, don't forget to listen sincerely too.

The answer isn't always changing policies, making decisions, or agreeing to everything. Just listen to your employees' concerns and their needs. They will feel respected and cared for. Once you've gathered their input, you can start thinking about what steps to take.

Understand that relationships are two-way

It's a relationship, maybe the pendulum is swinging in different directions. Most healthy relationships go both ways. How is your relationship with your people? Did you do what you said, or didn't?

In the Lettalk/Harris Poll, two-thirds of workers said they planned to leave because their employer didn't deliver on a promise to help them deal with mental health issues. Is this true for you and your organization? If so, what are you willing to do? Take stock of your relationships with your employees: How are you doing? If you feel you need to change, which ones make the most sense? If you don't know, try the steps above and try to be curious about their lives and thoughts.

creative thinking

We are now in conversations with clients and colleagues who are looking at what policies are in place and why. With the ping-pong conversation going on from remote work to back to the office to remote work, keeping your flexibility muscles strong right now is essential. Either way, now is not the time to announce strict policies. Be flexible about the needs of your employees. According to Lettalk research, people have other suggestions for what employers can do:

74% think paid time off is helpful for mental health
69% would like a manager's open-door policy
64% would prefer subsidized counseling and therapy
People are leaving. Things are tense. Uncertainty is all around us. So focus on what you can control and what you can do to build rich relationships with your employees. Start with a curious mindset, then ask them questions. You can try phrases like "I care what you think" and "I value what you think." This creates security. And, when you create a sense of security, you actually strengthen the relationship; when that happens, trust is also strengthened. And, maybe, just maybe, your people will stay longer.