The ‘Great Everything’ is a call for companies to step up.

As a SaaS marketer, slogans are everything in a world lacking an attention span. HR software—where I work—has not been spared, with thought leaders coining new terms The Great Resignation, Retention, Re-hiring, and Re-skilling.

Though attention-grabbing and sometimes cheesy, the creation of multiple slogans marks a trend. These have all existed for less than a year, created out of a volatile pandemic labor market that saw the steepest unemployment rate, followed by a record re-creation of jobs. In that time, the workforce reflected on what success meant to them, grappled with their mental health, and somehow balanced a merging of home and work life. Employers, hoping that two weeks would flatten the curve and normalcy would return, kept to the status quo.

Instead:

• Workers packed up and hired themselves. 5.4 million new businesses started in 2021.
• 4.5 million employees quit in November.
• Teachers, irked and annoyed by activist school boards and parents, are leaving in record numbers.

These numbers are part of a broader iceberg, which pre-pandemic ping pong tables, beer kegs, and catered lunches can’t fix.

A wake-up call for companies

When workers went remote two years ago, the hope was they’d be back soon. Many still haven’t returned and don’t plan to, given newfound benefits in a lower cost of living, balanced lifestyle, and a lack of commute. Thus, incumbent workplace perks such as food trucks, well-stocked fridges, and team happy hours don’t exist anymore.

The wake-up call for employers now is to adjust to a new world of work. There are a lot of new ideas, including providing alternative benefits, changing recruiting methods, and updating performance management methods. All are necessary since what was once normal is no longer.

However, shiny new benefits shouldn’t end the adjustment period. Retention, re-hiring, resignation, and re-skilling are all critical components of a broader employee experience and why many even show up to work in the first place. Thus, leaders should also spend time listening to their workers, from conducting town halls to sharing surveys. It’s the only way to put humanity back into the workplace.

The ‘Great Reflection’

Now is a watershed moment for HR leaders. Their strategic execution during the pandemic earned them a seat at the executive table, and what they do in the current labor volatility will keep them there. With many converging challenges, they are well prepared for the task ahead. Now comes the hard part: Execution and seeing how employees respond.