“A job is a job” is dead
Gone are the days where people neatly (forcibly?) compartmentalised their personal and professional lives. That went out the window around the same time as commuting and business clothing in general.
While the Oxford Dictionary has decided to summarise 2022 by the word “goblin mode”, whatever that means, I prefer to think of it more as a year of outright rejection.
Working from the office five days per week (or working five days per week period): rejected.
Staying in toxic jobs and work environments: forget it.
Unquestioningly putting in 150% at a job that no longer serves you: can’t believe we did this before.
At a time when the world as we know it feels like it is crumbling, the workforce has developed something of an allergic reaction to insufficient pay and conditions. This is clearly evidenced by the number of industries currently taking industrial action in the UK.
“If employers bury their heads in the sand on this one, then they should be prepared not only for another wave of resignations from top talent, but for a lack of interest from new talent to begin with. ”
As a senior talent leader, something I tell employers all the time is this: you’ve got to be ahead of the game. Otherwise, you’re behind. It is only natural, then, that so many businesses felt blindsided by The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting. Because let’s call it how it is: these “trends” were really just ticking time bombs that the pandemic came along and detonated.
And now, there’s another trend afoot. CEOs, COOs, and Human Resource Departments would do well to pay attention. I’m calling it “The Great GREEN Resignation.” Simply put, it is the crossroads between the “The Great Resignation” and people’s growing interest in leading more meaningful professional lives. If employers bury their heads in the sand on this one, then they should be prepared not only for another wave of resignations from top talent, but for a lack of interest from new talent to begin with.
If you think of talent acquisition and retention as a game, then the pandemic blew the rules of that game wide open. When people realised that they could work for themselves or simply pick up and go elsewhere, it became a candidate-driven market. This has miraculously coincided with the climate emergency and people – especially young people – are taking notice. Whereas a job was a job in the past, our careers are no longer siloed from our personal lives and the things we care about; in fact, they are extensions thereof.
Working for a company that doesn’t give a sh*t about the environment, or worse, purports to but is really just blowing hot air (figuratively and literally) is increasingly difficult to overlook.
Recent statistics show that 71% of employees focus on an employer’s sustainability record when searching for their next role (Gallup). Meanwhile, 35% of UK employees would quit their job if their employer isn't doing enough to reduce its carbon footprint, with this figure rising to 53% in 18 to 24 year-olds (Independent). Unless your business is already proactively addressing its sustainability, these numbers should be cause for concern.
“With Net zero goals increasingly coming under scrutiny as greenwashing, showing your business means business cannot be underestimated. ”
I plan on talking more about this emerging phenomenon in future content. But for now, I want to mention how I am addressing the problem in my way, on my scale. I have created a workshop called “The Great Green Resignation: How to stop your people leaving” to engage staff around sustainability and improve your business’ net zero credentials.
Participants will walk away with an actionable strategy rather than a Net Zero goal. With such goals coming increasingly under scrutiny as greenwashing, showing your business means business cannot be underestimated.
Check out the workshop here and sign up before the end of 2022 to benefit from our introductory half price offer.
