A new year often brings with it the promise of change, growth, and fresh beginnings. As we enter a third year battling COVID-19, still reeling from 1 in 4 workers quitting their jobs in 2021 during the "Great Resignation,” there’s no denying that 2022 will be “the year of the employee.”
This means that it will continue to be challenging for employers to retain and attract employees in the new year. It remains critical that employers examine the situation and make plans now that will allow them to adapt and pivot as needed.
What Employees Want
With more than 34 million U.S. workers leaving their jobs in the first 10 months of 2021, exit interviews and labor polls have provided crucial data that offers a glimpse into employee expectations moving forward:
1. Remote workers want to feel seen and appreciated. Employers need to find ways to connect meaningfully with them both individually and as a team. Consider employing new feedback mechanisms, such as one-on-one monthly (at least) meetings and exit and stay interviews. Survey employees regularly only if you intend to act on those items that make sense. Google has a completely anonymous feedback form that some of my clients feel is useful.
2. Many employees are feeling stuck with no clear path forward—they need to feel like their employers are invested in their future. Support the upskilling of your workforce and pay for certifications or soft-skills classes, or find another way to help them meet their educational goals. For example, during quarterly or biannual reviews you can discuss career aspirations and determine what skills and competencies will be needed to achieve the next level of the employee’s career path. Let them know what the compensation for the next role could be. Then, provide a mentor to help the employee achieve his or her goals in your organization.
3. Flexible work environments are vastly important to most people. Employees are not only looking for remote work but differing schedules, hybrid options, shorter weeks and the reduction of virtual meetings as much as possible. Employees need to be able to manage childcare issues that have arisen from the pandemic, and they are attempting to create a better work/life balance. Offering a more flexible schedule that breaks up eight-hour shifts into two shifts or staggered shifts can help.
4. Employees are hoping to avoid close contact with others. In many manufacturing jobs, it’s not possible to work remotely. So, continue to implement and maintain vigorous sanitizing policies and make certain they are followed and communicated so that employees are aware that their employer cares about their safety and health. Provide PPE and ask for feedback on what else employees may feel is crucial to their safety.
5. Employees want to be paid what they’re worth. Review your base compensation per job role. Money talks in this time of uncertainty, so make sure your wages are competitive, not just what you think is adequate. Acquire survey data that links to your job roles and ensure you are offering a competitive wage that takes inflation into consideration. You should also consider beefing up your benefits.
While these five items paint a broad, universal picture of what employees want their employers to provide, there’s more you can do to retain and attract top employees.
Workplace 2.0 Is All about Balance
Treating employees like the humans they are is the first step to improving company culture. Employees are seeking a healthy work/life balance with leaders who will respect them, trust them to do their jobs, and prioritize their well-being.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is going to be huge in 2022. Social injustices have put DEI on the forefront and employees want to see their work friends being treated fairly. Most younger workers won’t support companies that don’t support all workers fairly. Consider including employee testimonials about your culture as part of your online recruitment campaign.
Leaders should also get training from a certified DEI expert and create an actual DEI program. Don’t just put some thoughts on paper and have a training session—create a program that will be ongoing and that will include training for managers and employees in all aspects of DEI. Change policies to show you mean it. Here are some steps to get you started:
- Allow employees time for religious prayer without making them feel awkward or a burden.
- Consider specific paid days off for diversity promotion such as Juneteenth or International Volunteer Day.
- Put paternity leave in place or other paid leave programs that support family.
- Ensure leaders understand the difference between equality and equity. Equality is making things the same for all. Equity means everyone gets what they individually need to be successful. If you aren’t creating equitable opportunities, nothing will change.
- Continually assess the effectiveness of the program by ensuring you are hiring, promoting, and training the best people for their jobs. You’ll know your measures are working when morale is higher, skill levels are improved across the board, and there are few to no discrimination complaints.
Increasing benefit offerings—specifically mental wellness and paid time-off accruals—is especially important now, too. If you don’t already, consider offering an employee assistance program (EAP) or allowing for expanded telehealth services (e.g., Teladoc) that will provide increased access to psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental-health professionals.
The COVID-19 pandemic fanned the flames of an already growing mental health crisis in America—compounding the need for workers to have access to mental health care. According to Korn Ferry's "The 7 areas dominating future of work trends in 2022," 89% of professionals report that they are suffering from burnout, and 81% say they are more burned out now than at the start of the pandemic.
Company policies that focus on employee well-being, such as flexible work scheduling and family leave, help foster resilience and reduce stress and burnout in the workplace. Encouraging employees to take short breaks throughout the day, take non-working lunch breaks and to avoid checking emails or working on weekends and holidays will help, too.
Communicate Transparently for Best Recruitment Results
Once you’ve made any necessary adjustments to meet your current employees’ most critical needs and wants, it will be time to focus on enhancing your recruiting strategy. Beef up your recruitment game and compete for talent by doing the following:
- Show off your spotless and safe facilities. In manufacturing, it is particularly imperative that candidates who are unable to work remotely see the areas where they will be working and taking breaks. They will want to observe for themselves that the areas are clean and that appropriate sanitizing efforts are being attended to.
- Include a summary of the company's dedication to keeping employees safe in the “Company Summary” section of any job posting.
- Consider providing a “day in the life” video to increase the interest of candidates. Include current employees’ testimonials, if possible, which should reflect positive aspects of their employer and job.
- Review your career page and ensure it answers common candidate questions and showcases the culture effectively. Add it to the job posting.
- Consider using different state job boards and other job-search companies than you have used in the past. Working with local colleges and universities, high schools and trade associations can be very helpful as well. If you are still struggling to find qualified candidates, consider HR outsourcing or staffing firms to help you build a candidate pipeline.
Deliver a Promising Culture
None of the steps listed in this article will be possible if you don’t first ensure this will be a genuine top-down effort. When employers demonstrate their support and care of their employees by building trust, providing for flexibility, ensuring emotional and physical safety and increasing DEI efforts, they help create a culture that will shine forth like a beacon.
Amy Turner is the Manager of Strategic HR Advisory Services for G&A Partners, a leading professional employer organization (PEO) that has been helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses for more than 25 years.
