How to Retain Key Talent and Avoid the Great Resignation
As more organizations adopt hybrid or flexible work models, employee anxiety is increasing. Some workers are anxious about losing the routines they’ve established over the pandemic to maintain work-life balance, while others are concerned about their personal or family’s safety. Some are just not willing to pivot their current work preferences and feel forced to do so and subsequently leave the organization altogether.
Understanding these uncertainties and their collateral effects, when planning for a hybrid or flexible work transition, take the following into account during the initial planning phase of your change management initiative:
1. Who wants the change? What’s driving key decision makers around the need for the return to the office? Is there a generational, cultural or values disconnect at play? What metrics will executives need to see to get their buy-in?
2. Agile Change Management - Consider using an agile approach to your change management model and how it compliments the rapid changes of pandemic life. Elect an ambassador with an agile project management specialty to spearhead this initiative.
3. Get all key stakeholders on board - Include everyone from the C-Level Suite, HR executives, functional management and even your union reps, (attrition = loss of union dues.) The more feedback you receive at the onset, the better your plan will be.
4. Build in a psychological health and safety program. Everyone’s Trust, Safety and Connection are paramount. Invest in getting team members trained in Psychological first aid and promote the use of your EFAP program.
5. Gather feedback from every employee. Conduct regular surveys, interviews, town halls, and focus groups and approach them with empathy. If using an agile approach, schedule these events every quarter so you will know how and when to pivot.
6. Train your Leaders: Provide a Management Skills training program specific that provides your leadership team with the skills and best practices necessary to successfully Lead From Any Space.
7. Build in coaching for your leadership team and their teams. Consider certifying a group of internal coaches who can regularly meet with groups or teams.
8. Help teams bond - Build in extra budget for team building events, as many of these folks will not have seen each other in many months, if at all.
9. Don’t overlook personal work styles. Knowing where and how your workforce prefers to work may help you mitigate any retention issues.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article, which outlines the implementation and rollout stages …
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If your organization is struggling with a transition to hybrid work or the Great Resignation, we are here to support you. Set up a free 15-minute consultation with Jennifer Britton at Potentials Realized via Calendly at a time that works for you, and she would be happy to answer your questions!
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