At the end of 2021, the US experienced what has been dubbed the Great Resignation. This unprecedented event saw 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in a single month, according to Fortune Magazine.
The is a silver lining: this is a sign of a strong and healthy economy because people were not just quitting their jobs, but leaving them for better, often higher-paying, jobs with more balance and flexibility. GadellNet added 12 employees to our ranks in January 2022 alone.
The American workforce is seeking better jobs to support personal goals and desires of fulfilling careers and, more importantly for many, time for family and leisure activities. The pandemic pushed the focus away from work-life balance and brought about a life-work revolution and employers seeking the best talent are doing what they can to answer the call.
Below you will find a few areas on which GadellNet has focused our efforts to attract and retain top talent.
Flexibility
If there is one thing the pandemic cemented, it is the need for organizations to offer flexibility to their employees. This includes work location – the ability to work remotely – and flexibility in the hours they work. Thanks to the life-work revolution, this flexibility is now considered a basic requirement for any employer. If you cannot offer this, candidates will wait for a company that can.
GadellNet has always allowed employees to work when and where they feel they could be their best. Pre-pandemic, there were expectations about coming to the office with some regularity, but that is no longer the case. Things like school, childcare and illness have been too unpredictable and our team has been successful knowing they can stay home, if needed.
To achieve flexible working conditions, you need to have the right technology platforms in place and to ensure your company’s cultural values are well engrained. Managers need to be able to support this kind of work for employees.
Benefits Important Now
Traditional benefits aren’t cutting it anymore. Organizations are beginning to offer mental health benefits along with 401k matching to attract top talent. Getting workers through difficulties emerging from the pandemic puts a spotlight on just how important mental health is and how much it impacts an employee’s productivity and job happiness.
Other benefits important to employees are paid time off and paid family leave. These are benefits the US has traditionally lagged behind on compared to other countries, but both fall within the top 3 benefits desired by employees. The workforce is also looking for healthy lifestyle incentives, financial planning resources, and student loan repayment benefits, according to HR executive.
Some of these benefits are more feasible to implement in short order than others. Make a plan and add what you can. GadellNet has made lifestyle benefits a priority and this year we were happy to add adoption reimbursement, milk stork services and pet insurance as benefits.
Career Development
Talented people want to know they will have opportunities to improve themselves and advance in their careers if they join your organization. Forbes reported that 86% of survey respondents said they would change jobs if it meant more opportunities for professional development.
Offering career development has endless protentional for your organization. Right now, you can attract the talent from other companies with this offering. This will also lead to increased engagement and reduced turnover. Plus, you could uncover hidden skills in your workforce.
On-the-job training took a backseat during the pandemic and now finding new and creative ways to provide training is important. Younger workers particularly are concerned about how lack of development opportunities could impact their career trajectory.
Giving these opportunities to your employees will only help your organization grow and become better. It’s a win-win. GadellNet’s team obtained more certifications and completed more hours of training over the past 12 months than we’ve seen in previous years. Our Training and Development Leader works with each employee to set 1, 3, and 5 year goals and career roadmaps. Through these efforts, GadellNet promoted 36 employees in 2021.
All of these focus areas have a common thread. They tie back to a culture with strong values. Your culture has never been more important than it is now. You need to take your company culture remote. Ensurepotential employees can feel that flare, that your company offers from the time they apply all the way through their journey within your organization. Your values should be well-defined and they should align with the actions your organization and leaders take.
