Category: Health & Life Coaching

The workforce is in a frenzy right now in the U.S.

Millions of people are voluntarily quitting their jobs and employers all across the country are having trouble finding workers.

What do the numbers say?

The Labor Department latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover report estimated a record high of 47.4 million workers voluntarily leaving their jobs in 2021.

More so, it was reported that a record monthly high of 4.5 million workers quit their jobs just in November 2021.

In addition, one market report found that nearly three quarters of workers are actively thinking about quitting their job.

With no end in site to this “Great Resignation” trend, many researchers are trying grasp why workers are leaving their jobs in such mass numbers.

Contrary to what many would assume, even with the increased cost of living, two-thirds of workers left their place of employment for reasons other than pay.

So, what are some reported reasons why workers are quitting their jobs. They include, wanting remote work, wanting more work/life balance, switching careers, to unhappiness on how their employers treated them during the pandemic.

In my opinion, these reasons do not capture the true essence of the problem.

I believe that the Great Resignation ultimately boils down to workers not feeling valued by their employer.

For so long, employers have overworked its workers to the point of burnout.

Employers have treated its workers solely as a means to an end for their bottom line.

Employers have demanded loyalty from their workers, but have not been loyal, nor even supportive of the needs of its workers.

Without question, employers turned a blind eye to the fact that the employer and employee relationship is just that, a relationship.

For any relationship to thrive, both parties must have their needs met.

Human psychology shows that when a person’s emotional needs are neglected in a relationship it leads to tension and exhaustion.

I believe that all of this negative emotion was already permeating the workforce and the pandemic was ultimately “the straw that broke the camels back.”

Workers have now reached a breaking point and are responding by walking away.

This is supported by Gallup’s research that found that 42% of people quit their job due to how they felt about their employer’s organizational culture.

With employees leaving their place of work in droves, there has been a power shift in the workforce.

It’s now an employee’s market.

If companies want to re-attract workers, they must adjust to the evolving workforce.

What should employers consider to accomplish this task?

For starters, employers could humble themselves and accept the fact that they are nothing without people.

In other words, they can show that they genuinely value their talent not just in word, but in action. Whatever that looks like for each individual company.

Second, it would likely be advantageous to foster work environments that are supportive and decreases the likelihood of worker-burnout. For example, make employee mental health a top priority.

Lastly, employers might want to consider incentivizing loyalty. For years, companies have gotten away with demanding blind loyalty simply because they are XYZ company. This is no longer enough for employee retention.

Employers must now do more. For example, employers could consider offering more competitive wages to adjust for the rising inflation rates, offering student loan debt forgiveness, or having remote work/hybrid options.

Essentially, employers must provide meaningful reasons why their workers would not want to leave or jump ship to another company.

All in all, the way people are relating to work has drastically shifted over the past year.

It is now up to employers all across the country to adjust to the times.

And what does this adjustment look like?

By showing that they actually care about its people.

“The Great Resignation is really a Great Re-evaluation. What people are resigning from is a culture of burnout and a broken definition of success. In quitting their jobs, people are affirming their longing for a different way of working and living.” ~ Arianna Huffington

Before social media, people would meet each other in real life.

They would have conversation.

They would eat together.

They would laugh.

They would go for walks at the park.

They would get to know each other on a deeper level.

It was a magical time.

Nowadays, with the influx of social media, people place significantly less effort on fostering meaningful relationships.

Instead, convenience has replaced connection and people have been demoted to avatars on a screen to serve the purpose of increasing one’s friend or follower count.

And we wonder why so many people are lonely and feel isolated in this era of “social” media.

It’s because we have lost the essence of what it means to truly connect.

As a society, we have become fixated on feeding the ego, quick dopamine rushes, and instant gratification – all the things that run counter to developing a human bond.

Sad to say, but people have given their hearts over to social media and unless they wake up from the artificial world, the human connection will continue to fade away.

“Ego and love cannot exist together, just as the sun and shadow cannot.” ~ Banani Ray

They say every dark cloud has a silver lining. Here are 9 things to consider during the COVID-19 lockdown.

1. You’re not being flaked on: The flake rate was at an all time high before the lockdown. Now with restaurants, movies, malls, and other venues closed, the dating scene is at a standstill, which means you don’t have to worry about being flaked on.

2. You get to slow down: Living a life of rush, hurry, and on auto-pilot was our society’s norm before the lockdown. Now you get to slow down and take a break from the soul sucking, fast-paced lifestyle of modern life.

3. You get to practice minimalism: Before the world was plagued by the coronavirus, it was plagued by consumerism. By the lockdown causing concerns for a financial crisis, you have the perfect opportunity to remove yourself from a culture that’s fixated on buying unnecessary things and focus on things that’s only necessary for survival, which is a key principle in minimalism.

4. You get to improve your relationships: Since the world is on lockdown, you’re not out and about meeting new people. As a result, you get to focus on improving your existing relationships with friends and family. As far as significant relationships go, you get to see if your relationship is more superficial or one of substance. Have you heard the saying, “If you can’t quarantine together then you shouldn’t be together?”

5. You have more incentive to cook: Although take-out food has become a popular option during the lockdown, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the spread of coronavirus. This means you have a lot of incentive to cook your own food. Cooking has always been a safer and healthier option because you can be sure that it’s clean and you can monitor what goes in it.

6. You get a lesson in humility: Money, status, and fame has a way of making people feel like they’re superior than others. By the world being on lockdown, you get to see that no amount of money, status, or fame kept you from being locked in your house just like everyone else. With the current situation at hand, no one really has the room to be arrogant or boast.

7. You have more time: Before the lockdown, people were pressed for time. It was the result of the hustle and bustle of modern living. Now you have more time than ever. This means you get to catch up on your rest. You get to organize and declutter your space. You get to learn that new language you’ve been putting off!

8. You’re more grateful for life: Who would have thought a couple of months ago the world would be on lockdown to prevent the spread of a deadly virus? Everyday the number of cases rise. If there’s one thing that this time has likely done, it has made you more grateful for life. Do you still want the house on the hilltop and fancy cars? Maybe so. However, you now get to see that those type of things are a distant second to what’s most important, which is waking up and seeing another day.

9. You get to self-reflect: By the lockdown forcing you to slow down and increasing your time alone, you now have the space to look inward and re-examine your life, or self-reflect. Through self-reflection, you get to figure out who you really are outside of the world. You get to identify what you really want out of life and make changes. You get to see if you need to let go of something or someone that’s no longer serving you. Without a doubt, the lockdown has put you in position to slow down, be still, and as Socrates would say, “Know thyself.”

“Maybe it’s not just a time for self-quarantining or social distancing. Maybe it’s also a time for self-reflection — to figure out who you really are independent of Babylon.” ~ Balanced Vaughn