Employers exploring how to go from ‘Great Resignation’ to ‘Great Recruitment’

Much has been said about the “Great Resignation,” the phenomenon of workers leaving without knowing when or if they’ll return to the workforce. Even though society has made progress adjusting to a new normal, many workers who left the workforce during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic still aren’t ready to return to business as usual. The soul searching that led workers to reevaluate their priorities and focus more on work-life balance continues keeping people out of the workforce. That’s a problem for employers struggling with a labor shortage. But employers don’t have to throw up their hands and give up. Instead, they can take steps to recover from the Great Resignation by embarking on a Great Recruitment of that pool of workers eager to work but just not in the same way they did before.

Why employees left

When the pandemic hit, many employers and employees alike pivoted to remote work. The transition was a relief to many but a burden for others. So much of a burden, many people chose to leave their employers so they could focus on childcare, elder care, their own well-being, or for other reasons.

Still others didn’t have the option of working remotely, and they left their jobs because they felt vulnerable to the virus by staying in the workplace. In the past, most people were hesitant to leave a job with no prospects for another one. But that has changed.