Whether you call the past year the “Great Resignation” the “Great Reshuffle” or some other catchy description, as a society, we have witnessed an unprecedented mass exodus from jobs that people have had for months and even years.

Businesses have been hit hard and are unprepared. 

While there are a variety of factors that have converged to create the “perfect storm,” organizational culture, business practices, and their leaders seem to be the significant driving force behind this phenomenon according to reports by McKinsey, MIT Sloan, and PlanBeyond (to name a few). 
Essentially, businesses have failed to understand and address the basic needs of their workers and have critically underestimated the impact of their people managers as the drivers of the success - or failure - of the business. 

The 2022 MIT Sloan survey of employees revealed that the top three predictors of turnover in 2021 were: 1) not feeling valued by the organization, 2) their relationship with their manager, and 3) not feeling a sense of belonging at work – all three are directly related to the actions of an employee’s manager. Gallup found that 52% of exiting employees reported their manager could have done something to prevent them from leaving – suggesting that managers can play a critical role in preventing unwanted employee attrition.

Despite their tremendous impact on an organization’s bottom line, less than 10% of businesses invest significantly in the comprehensive development of their people managers across all levels of the organization - not only missing key opportunities to retain and engage employees but likely costing the company millions of dollars. 

Most people managers are unaware of the simple drivers under which their employees operate that keep them satisfied and productive. Many do not know how to have a professional development conversation or a stay interview. All too often, people managers don’t even meet regularly one-on-one with their direct reports - citing that they don’t have the time.  

So, if you want to prevent employee turnover and significantly increase employee engagement and productivity look no further than your people managers. Invest heavily in their development. Support them through ongoing training. Provide real development augmented with group mentoring, peer support, and one-on-one coaching. Remove toxic managers from your organization as quickly as possible while showcasing and rewarding individuals who are talent maximizers. ​

Share your thoughts in the comments!​

I graduated high school a year early to start college at age 17. While my previous classmates were going to dances, football games, and enjoying that one last year of youth, I was hitting the books.

This series arose after an experience I had with a fellow YP – or young professional - that I think we all could benefit from discussing: the quintessential young professional value of being paid for output and not input has replaced the value of “pay your dues,” which was embraced by prior generations.  Check out Part 1 for the back story.  A few years ago, I was a YP expressing my desire to be paid for output and not input, and my boss's response is the best I have ever heard regarding this topic.

Reality #2: It takes 10 years to get 10 years’ experience. There are no shortcuts.
This series arose after an experience I recently had with a fellow YP – or young professional that I think we all could benefit from discussing. Check out Part 1 for the back story.  The quintessential young professional value of the 21st century: Pay me for output, not for input! 

YP: IRL - Young Professionals: In Real Life
​This series arose after an experience I recently had with a fellow YP – or young professional – that I think we all could benefit from discussing. It went like this: “I want a raise,” she said firmly, sliding a paper across my desk with a list of google search results containing a graph and salary ranges for her job title.

Why Should You Spend Your Valuable Time on This?
You. Are. Busy. You can’t keep up with your to-do list or your overflowing inbox. Not to mention that growing list of saved Facebook posts is taunting you. ​