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“The Great Resignation” Is a Problem for All Businesses

Business LeadershipTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

I know, I know. We’re all getting sick of the phrase. It’s one of the main reasons why we need to look farther and deeper for why “The Great Resignation” is happening instead of pointing at the big, headline-inducing numbers. While we all wait with bated breath for the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ next report on resignations (the last one, which covered November 2021, showed a then-record 4.5 million quits in the United States), let’s take a moment to remember this:

The “talent revolution” is happening across all sectors and industries. I’ve heard conversations in which point to specific verticals as being more prone to quits than others, particularly areas like hospitality, restaurants, retail, travel, etc., considering that employees within these industries are more likely to desire flexibility, better pay, safer working conditions, better work-life integration, clearer career pathways, etc.

However, this discussion leaves so much more out of the equation. Take, for instance, this now-weeks-old article from The New York Times. It talks of the low-income sector’s turnover rates as a big reason why The Great Resignation was continuing to shatter monthly records consistently. But then we have this piece from my hometown Boston Globe, which finds that a booming local market (biotech, perhaps the “hottest” of industries at the moment) faces the same issues as other industries:

“About 16.5 percent of life sciences employees in Massachusetts voluntarily quit their jobs last year, a recent survey from research firm Radford found, up from 13 percent in 2018. Both figures are high enough to affect a company’s effort to grow.”

Massachusetts has become a hotbed of biotech giants and startups alike. It’s home to one of only two companies that offer an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna). And it’s now facing the same staff shortages and turnover rates that other industries have been experiencing for nearly a year.

One critical, yet overlooked, reason why The Great Resignation continues to be an annoying issue is no business leader wants to believe it’ll happen to his or her industry…until it actually does, and by then, the numbers will point to the fact that it’s been happening for quite some time, right under their noses. All the more important, then, that enterprises attack this problem right at its foundation: talent.

Look at the media/relations/advertising industry (or industries): this fantastic article at AdAge is FILLED with quotes from leading ad execs that all state a common refrain. They understand that the market is shifting, that talent acquisition must change (and change quickly), and that Future of Work attributes, especially the extended workforce, are a means to success during these strange times:

“One potential upside that Ad Age reported on last year was that ad industry turnover isn’t a true “brain drain”—employees might not be qualifying for W-2s, but because contract work is thriving again, many are leaving staff jobs for freelance. In fact, an estimated 50% of the ad industry could be freelance within the next decade.

“We see the hybrid workforce as a win/win,” says Brett Channer, founder and CEO of Mass Minority. “As we grow across North America, this gives us access to a wider range of talent representing the market we serve.” For anyone who might see an increase in various state income tax requirements as a deterrent to freelance or location-agnostic hiring, Channer notes that though “it does add cost to our payroll operation, those costs are lower than the overhead to office these people.””

Purpose is a big contributor to the Talent Revolution. Flexibility is a core ideal, as well. Remote and hybrid work are non-negotiable at this point. These are the foundational aspects of what talent wants, what talent needs, and what talent will not sacrifice in 2022 and beyond. The Great Resignation is not just an issue for specific industries or verticals, but rather all enterprises within corporate America. If businesses can welcome the transformation of talent, harness the power of Future of Work strategies and tools, and truly embrace the workforce shifts happening today, there is hope that The Great Resignation will be looked back on as a watershed moment for workers in these progressive times of the past two years.

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The Future of Gig Work

Talent by Featured Contributor on

[Today’s guest contribution was written by Tim Minahan, EVP Strategy and Chief Marketing Officer at Citrix.]

Hybrid work has opened the door to a new kind of “gig with benefits” that may upend the model. And that’s good news for Corporate America.

Workers are leaving jobs like never before, and it’s causing a shortage of talent that has companies around the globe reeling. According to a recent survey conducted by Citrix, 40 percent of 1,000 knowledge workers in the US have left at least one job in the past year or are considering doing so. It’s been dubbed “The Great Resignation.” But it’s really “The Great Transformation.”

Contrary to what’s being reported, workers aren’t bailing for traditional reasons like more money or a better title. The majority are jumping ship for jobs that give them the freedom to do meaningful work from the location of their choice and provide equal opportunities to contribute and advance their careers. As revealed by the Citrix survey:

Money isn’t Everything

Make no mistake: salary and benefits are important. But they aren’t what’s inspiring workers to seek new roles. Among those surveyed who have changed jobs in the last 12 months, more than half took a pay cut. And 60% joined startups and accepted equity in exchange for salary.

Flexibility is Key

Today’s workers want flexible arrangements that allow them to choose where they work best. An overwhelming 80% of respondents to the Citrix survey said it was “very” or “somewhat” important that they be able to “work from anywhere,” and 55% said they would take less money to do so.

Employee Experience has Never Mattered More

Modern employees want to engage in innovative work, be productive and make meaningful contributions to the business that are valued without interference from complex technology and processes. And they’re likely to move on if they can’t:

  • 60% of workers have left jobs for positions that provide more opportunities to innovate and try new things.
  • 38% bolted because they were not engaged in or passionate about their former role.
  • 31% were frustrated by overly complicated technology and processes.
  • 47% believe they can do more meaningful work in their new roles, and;
  • 13% saw it as a way to inject certainty into their future and regain some of the control they’ve lost during the pandemic.

If all of this sounds familiar, it should. In 2009, a similar exit took place as workers across the knowledge economy began pursuing consulting and freelance work, creating the so-called “Gig Economy.” They left for many of the same reasons workers are moving on today. But the stage is set to bring them back.

In addition to why workers leave, the Citrix survey sought to understand what makes them stay. And it found:

  • 41% feel their benefits are competitive and beyond financial security, provide for their physical and mental well being.
  • 40% can work flexibly.
  • 27% are afraid to make a change given the ongoing uncertainty.
  • 12% will lose stock options or a retirement plan if they leave.

All of this bodes well for Corporate America.

In embracing hybrid models for work and digital technologies that empower people to work when, where and how they choose, companies can create a new class of “gigs with benefits” that provide the flexibility and autonomy that freelance, contract and gig workers crave along with the stability that has become increasingly attractive as the pandemic wears on.

And in doing so, they may lure back some valuable talent with the skills to keep business going and growing.

Creating the Space to Succeed

With the right digital workspace solutions, companies can remove the friction from work that frustrates and slows employees down. And this is critical, because when employees feel empowered by the solutions they use rather than hamstrung by them, they can focus, innovate and deliver value.

Narrowing the Digital Divide

They can also narrow the new digital divide that hybrid models threaten to open by creating an equitable environment in which employees can engage and collaborate in a transparent and efficient way regardless of where they are located.

Whether at home, in the office or on the road, digital workspaces provide employees with consistent, secure and reliable access to all of the apps and information they need to perform at their best.

Winning the Battle for Talent

The balance of power has shifted. Employees are no longer demanding flexible jobs that allow them to innovate and move forward, they’re commanding them.

To remain vibrant in one of the tightest labor markets the world has ever seen, companies need to come to grips with this and get on board with the new, flexible work models that will drive the Future of Work and leverage them to cultivate a workforce that is flexible, agile, and empowered to adapt to changing conditions and move their business forward.

Tim Minahan is the executive vice president, business strategy and chief marketing officer at Citrix, a leading provider of digital workspace solutions.

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In 2022, the Future of Work Must Be Driven By “Purpose”

Business LeadershipTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Future of Work means very different things to different executive leaders, workers, and business professionals. For some, it’s a focus on technology, innovation, and new forms of automation. For others, it’s about the strategic transformation of how the greater business operates. For those in HR, talent acquisition, or contingent workforce management, it’s an evolving focus on how talent is engaged, sourced, and onboarded. And, historically, the Future of Work simply translated into the achievement of better business outcomes via the utilization of new solutions and strategies.

In 2022, however, the Future of Work must be driven something that affects all levels of the enterprise and its workforce: purpose.

The “Talent Revolution,” which is what “The Great Resignation” is truly driven by, is a deeper representation of this statement. Workers are leaving their jobs because, in an age when work defines who we are as people, there should be some semblance of humanity, emotion, and, most critically, purpose behind what we do. The COVID-19 pandemic thrust all of us into a collective reawakening of sorts; when faced with consistent anxiety, stress, and trauma, workers became more human and began to integrate the emotional and professional sides of their personas.

Work attributes such as flexibility, remote and hybrid work, empathy (and empathy-driven leadership), pre- and mid-pandemic workplace safety standards, and an inclusive culture are crucial ideas for the modern-day worker. Too many business leaders are pushing the wrong agenda in regards to the so-called “Big Quit,” in that workers don’t want to work, don’t want to commute, and are only looking for higher compensation.

The truth is this: workers today want to work, but they want that work to have a purpose that aligns with their beliefs, their goals, their journeys, and their cultural personas. On the surface, it’s the ability to say “I love my job,” and, going much deeper, the ability to state, “This job fulfills my purpose.”

Tens of millions of workers left their positions in 2021, a record year for resignations. In the early days of the pandemic, many professionals were grateful to be working, to telecommute, and to continue providing for themselves and their families during uncertain times and the biggest health crisis of our lifetime. During the pandemic rollercoaster ride, many professionals began to understand what they wanted from their careers and their jobs, owing a newfound sense of purpose within the “how” and “why” of work.

Every business executive should be placing purpose in perspective in how they manage their staff, how they engage and acquire talent, how they lead and mentor their talent, how they operate the overall enterprise, and how they integrate technology and innovation into corporate processes and initiatives. Purpose is a multi-faceted concept that will drive the Future of Work in 2022; it is up to businesses to support and cultivate the symbiotic relationship between purpose-driven thinking and the way the organization addresses how work is done.

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The Extended Workforce is a Cornerstone of the Future of Work

Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Over the past several months, I have been focused on (amongst many other research findings) a key statistic in Future of Work Exchange research: 47% of the average organization’s total workforce is considered “extended” or “non-employee.” This means that nearly half of the staff surrounding you (or, of course, working remotely) is comprised of temporary staff, SOW-based labor or professional services, gig workers, independent contractors, freelancers, etc.

Back in 2014, based on the trajectory of the growth of the contingent workforce, Ardent Partners had boldly predicted that it was a matter of when, not if, this workforce comprised half of the average company’s total staff. “Accelerants” along the way, particularly the growth of digital staffing, advanced Vendor Management Systems, Managed Service Providers expanding their breadth of offerings, and direct sourcing, all played vital roles in pushing the extended workforce to where it is today.

Of course, the pandemic played a role, too, in that more and more businesses found that the best way to be agile, and the best way to scale their workforce up and down as the market dictated, was to heavily-involve extended talent into their organizations. Future of Work Exchange research found that 82% of enterprises derived true workforce scalability and flexibility from extended talent throughout 2020 and 2021, with another 70% of businesses stating that the extended workforce assisted them with “business continuity” initiatives in the face of uncertain economic times.

That’s right: the extended workforce wasn’t just a way for businesses to leverage on-demand talent when and where they needed it…it was a way for enterprises to survive and thrive when the world was in utter chaos.

There are other critical aspects related to work optimization that were accelerated due to pandemic times, including remote and hybrid work becoming table stakes and the rise of more welcoming workplaces. These are all crucial attributes of the Future of Work that have been, since this site launched, significant conversation pieces around how enterprises effectively get work done.

Think about it: the Future of Work movement has always followed, amongst other key focal areas, a considerably powerful mantra. Optimize how work is done. In both the good times and the bad, non-employee talent has been there to help businesses maintain continuity, support resiliency efforts, and, most importantly, serve as a talent-fueled boost to true workforce scalability. Getting work done today means tapping into the very strategies that support Best-in-Class extended workforce management, including:

  • Boosting candidate experience and hiring manager experience efforts with “Direct Sourcing 2.0” technology and approaches.
  • Applying the next-generation functionality and purpose-driven technology of today’s extended workforce platforms to both tactical and strategic elements of extended workforce management.
  • Deriving value from integrated workforce management systems that can play “platform” roles in managing all facets of the extended workforce, from direct sourcing to SOW management.
  • Providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities to talent pool candidates as a way to enhance talent redeployment efforts.
  • Developing true talent sustainability that can blend total talent intelligence with talent nurture processes to ensure that all networked workers are amiable and open to reengagement for new and/or continued projects and initiatives.

The extended workforce will soon comprise half of the total global workforce. As enterprises continue to optimize how work is done, this workforce will continue to be a crucial cornerstone for the Future of Work movement.

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The Four-Day Work Week Can Be A Reality…But Not Until the Pandemic is Over

Business LeadershipTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College, and Oxford University, not-for-profit organization 4 Day Week Global, UK think tank Autonomy, and the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, along with over 30 businesses across the UK, are set to begin a trial of four-day work weeks from June until December 2022. The study, which is open to other companies that apply before the program starts, aims to put real-world data behind the benefits of the four-day work week. “The four-day week challenges the current model of work and helps companies move away from simply measuring how long people are “at work,” to a sharper focus on the output being produced. 2022 will be the year that heralds in this bold new future of work,” Joe O’Connor, pilot program manager for 4 Day Week Global, told Mashable earlier this week.

The four-day work week has long been perceived as a savior for productivity and a boost for overall employee engagement, allowing employees with the option to savor three-day weekends and spend more time with their families and loved ones. An “automatic” additional day off every week would certainly improve mental health, employee wellness, and help alleviate some of the issues that workers have been dealing with over the course of the past two transformative years.

I was highly encouraged by a study run by the Reykjavík City Council in Iceland in which 2,500 employees participated. “Workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, and said their health and work-life balance had improved. They also reported having more time to spend with their families, do hobbies and complete household chores,” the BBC article stated.

Here’s the caveat, though: the Iceland trial took place from 2015 to 2019. And, the upcoming UK experiment will take place during a pandemic.

Nearly every facet of both life and business has been altered in some profound manner since March 2020. Many of the attributes of work, including traditional commutes and afternoon lunches with peers, were taken for granted the second our cities and towns went in lockdown. In fact, with the Omicron variant raging across the United States and other countries around the world, we still those aspects for granted whenever there’s an exposure or infection and we’re quarantining for five, seven, or ten days (depending on country-specific guidance and restrictions).

The Future of Work Exchange was created with many concepts in mind, but one core goal was to point to the forward-thinking ideas, technology, and strategies that support work optimization and the Future of Work movement. “Flexibility” is a linchpin to how companies enhance how work is done in today’s evolving business environment, and, yes, that does include progressive approaches such as the four-day work week. This mode of work will have its benefits, no matter when it’s launched; employees will feel more engaged, workers will be able to connect more with their loved ones, and, yes, there is the fact that staff will work “smarter, not harder” and improve overall productivity.

There are reasons, though, why right now (meaning, literally, right now) may not be the proper time to launch such an experiment. Here’s why:

  • The prevalence of remote and hybrid work is translating into a failure to “disconnect” from work. I can attest to this first-hand: there are typically two or three evenings per week (sometimes more) when the bright lights of my laptop illuminate my home office while I’m listening to a new album or film score, typing away and not noticing that it’s 1am. For many workers that are now part (or have been part of) remote or hybrid infrastructures, the issue of “burnout” has always been an issue. Sometimes, no matter what the calendar looks like, a worker is going to put in well over 40 hours (and possibly close to 50) if they cannot disconnect from their strategic projects and initiatives. It’s a much different story in light industrial and similar industries, because…
  • Four-day work weeks are not “one-size-fits-all,” as in-person operations heavily favor a shortened calendar (with some risk). When forklift drivers, picker-packers, and those directly on the shop floor have the ability to condense their work into four instead of five days and maintain their productivity, it’s a win-win for both employees and executives. As stated above, however, white collar workers are not guaranteed to not work on those fifth days given the easy access to enterprise systems and their home office setups. The “risk” for non-remote employees is quite straightforward: what happens when manufacturing targets aren’t hit, or when “stow” goals are off at the end of the week? There is inherent risk built into four-day work weeks for these types of industries, that when mitigated, will surely be outweighed by other benefits.
  • There is too much uncertainty regarding the pandemic and its immediate workforce ramifications. “The Great Resignation,” which we call the “Talent Revolution,” is masking the true foundation of the long-term labor market. There is no way to conduct specific types of work-based experiments when, in the United States alone, over four million workers are resigning monthly from their positions. There are still big-name CEOs and executives that eschew remote and hybrid work, not to mention the fact that COVID cases are on a seven-day average of over 800,000, nearly triple the amount during the horrible 2020-2021 winter surge. It may be too much to say that COVID needs to be endemic before businesses begin tinkering with four-day work weeks, however, the next couple of months will prove to be yet another series of uncertain days when businesses will flirt with vaccine mandates for employees (and customers), staggered opening depending on caseloads, and other reactions to an ongoing public health crisis.

There are many other issues with the shortened work week that are linked to the “customer experience,” in which a day in which employees aren’t manning call centers or “Contact Us” chats could negatively impact relationships with key buyers. This has been a key pivot point for artificial intelligence in the workplace, allowing AI-led interactions help customers. As this form of AI becomes more prevalent (and accessible), businesses will have an easier time moving to the condensed work week. For now, however, the pandemic brings too much disruption, especially in the throes of the Omicron surge.

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The Four Things that Will Determine the Future of “The Great Resignation”

Business LeadershipTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

By now, you’ve heard the phrases. “The Big Quit.” “The Great Resignation.” “The Great Reassessment.” Around these parts, we’ve typically referred to the massive, massive numbers of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs as a “talent revolution” unlike anything businesses have ever experienced before. Calling this a “revolution” rather than attributing the volatile labor market solely to a continuously-raging pandemic is selling short so many aspects of what today’s workforce truly wants, needs, and, most importantly, deserves.

In December alone, 4.5 million workers resigned from their positions. In September of last year, it was 4.4 million. October and November’s stats were just as eye-opening. For nearly the past year, the Department of Labor has constantly been breaking its own records for the “highest number of resignations in a single month,” with May 2021 serving as the first solid month of The Great Resignation.

Halfway through the first month of 2022, the expectation is that January will topple those December 2021 figures, adding to an already-volatile labor market that is consistently disrupted by yet another coronavirus variant, uncertainty regarding vaccine mandates, and other market-shifting dynamics that are proving to turn 2022 into yet another transformational year for the world of talent and work.

While I’m a bigger fan of the phrase “talent revolution” in lieu of “The Great Resignation,” the facts don’t lie: tens of millions of workers have left their roles over the past nine months and there are too many reasons why to list out in a single article on the Future of Work Exchange. The focus should be on solving this, not merely talking about how disruptive it is (although this is certainly a gigantic pain to hiring managers, HR execs, and talent acquisition leaders that are absolutely struggling to fill positions, especially in certain industries).

That being said, here are three things that could determine the future of The Great Resignation:

  • The Omicron variant’s peak hitting rural America, the South, and pieces of both the Midwest and the West Coast. There are optimistic signs that Omicron is peaking in the Northeast (where I call home in Boston), New York, Washington D.C., etc. Many of the jobs quit over the past year have been in industries that have shouldered the brunt of the pandemic’s worst, whether it’s in retail, healthcare, hospitality, etc. These are positions that are not, unfortunately, prone to flexibility, safer worker conditions, and competitive compensation. The constant rollercoaster effect of the pandemic’s surges and waves have meant that workers cannot appropriately support remote learning when it was the only option, cannot work due to a lack of daycare, and are often forced into working conditions that aren’t equipped with the best PPE or vaccine and mask mandates. If Omicron is truly as mild as scientists indicate, and if this is the last stop on the road to endemicity, then the regions that aren’t peaking with Omicron will soon, and that could mean (given the speed at which this variant’s cases cause and respectively fall) that, by the spring months, the country will be in a much, much better place than it is now for public health and safety.
  • Business leaders finally realizing that aspects such as empathy, culture, and flexibility aren’t just “nice-to-have” elements. We’ve covered it here before on the Future of Work Exchange; some well-known business leaders touting their dismissal of remote and hybrid work, and only revealing that they have no clue that, of course, business culture evolves. Major labor market shifts (in pre-pandemic times) were because of economical and financial reasons; although huge increases in unemployment would certainly cause personal distress, the major difference over the past two years is that workers were faced with uncertainty, anxiety, and stress at both the professional and personal levels. Thus, workers require some level of emotional support as well as an optimistic, positive, and inclusive workplace culture. The “flexibility” problem is simple: bake remote and hybrid work into the very fabric of every position that can support it (and make these flexibility-driven changes permanent!).
  • Inflation becoming too much of a financial burden. The inflation problem is real. Everything from cars to diapers to produce are several percentage points more expensive now than there were just a couple of years ago. For some individuals, this may not be an issue, however, for many more, it’s incredibly disruptive. Many workers hit “pause” on their careers in the spirit of finding happiness, satisfaction, and prosperity. Those dreams are squashed very quickly when household necessities cost 5% or 10% more than they did a year or two ago. Look for more workers to find positions that may check several (but not all) of their ideal workplace boxes until the economy is less inflated than it is today.
  • Businesses that lead with innovative talent acquisition models, including direct sourcing and AI-driven talent analytics, will fare better than other organizations. Artificial intelligence-led decision-making. Hiring managers with access to vast data oceans. Automated referral campaigns and digital recruitment marketing. The power of “Direct Sourcing 2.0” strategies. These are all innovative approaches towards finding the best-fit candidates; as businesses begin to harness the power of advanced talent acquisition solutions, combined with the benefits of AI-fueled data and predictive analytics, they will create the ideal environment in which to find, engage, and source the best-fit talent when, where, and how it is needed most. Too, the value of the remote and hybrid work models and their impact on talent acquisition cannot be understated; there is an increase in the availability of remote positions, and with business leaders expanding roles to those across the globe (instead of just their backyard), they are opening new channels of talent that can work from anywhere.
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The Age of Direct Sourcing 2.0 Is Here (Upcoming Webinar)

Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

There’s a primary reason why direct sourcing has become one of the hottest topics in the greater world of talent and work: it represents the next evolutionary means of talent acquisition and is actively transforming the way businesses tap into the extended workforce. Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange have coined an apt phrase to describe the progressive nature of direct sourcing in 2022: “Direct Sourcing 2.0,” which is meant to reinforce the relative power of additional elements (both technological and strategic) added to the already-vaunted measures inherent in typical direct sourcing programs.

By leveraging the “traditional” elements of the program (particularly talent curation, talent pool segmentation, talent nurture, etc.) and adding additional functionality, such as AI-fueled candidate assessment, deeper recruitment marketing technology, advanced referral management automation, etc.), enterprises can take direct sourcing to the next level. From our new Direct Sourcing 2.0 research study:

Workers are demanding greater flexibility from their employers. They are more focused on work-life balance, while also desiring greater independence. Among many things, the “Great Resignation” of 2021-2022 indicates a seismic shift in power towards the worker and away from the employer. This may or may not be permanent, but businesses, nonetheless, face constant pressure to deepen human capital and future-proof skillsets within their total workforce. Now, more than ever, enterprises require a steady flow of new workers to keep pace with their competitors. Now, more than ever, enterprises need superior sourcing capabilities. Now, more than ever, enterprises need a new approach.

Now is the time for “Direct Sourcing 2.0,” the next generation of sourcing strategies that blend innovative solutions with a renewed focus on the candidate experience and an ability to use talent pools to populate the key projects and roles that require expertise and experience. Today’s business climate has accelerated the need for a reimagined approach to candidate engagement. As the market for talent continues to tighten amidst the lingering pandemic and a surging number of resignations, businesses find themselves in a new kind of “war for talent,” one that is far more extensive and complicated than anything experienced pre-pandemic.

I’m incredibly excited to join WorkLLama later this month (Thursday, January 27, 12pm ET) for an exclusive webcast that will not only highlight the core research findings from the upcoming Direct Sourcing 2.0 study, but also discuss how business can leverage direct sourcing as a viable, flexible, and nimble talent engagement strategy. Saleem Khaja, WorkLLama’s COO and Co-Founder, will present alongside me, as well as other special guests (to be announced soon). Click here or on the image below to register for this exclusive event. Hope to see you there!

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Why the Healthcare Workforce Burnout Issue is a Wake-Up Call for All Businesses

Business LeadershipTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

I subscribe to several daily newsletters from various news outlets, including The Atlantic, New York Times, The New Yorker, etc. For the past several weeks, and, in particular, the early days of 2022, there was a commonality in each news roundup: the effects of the Omicron coronavirus variant on hospital staffing and the continued healthcare crunch.

The United States is bracing for a seven-day rolling average of over 700,000 cases, nearly three times that of the worst of the 2020-2021 winter surge. Even though there has been scientific evidence of Omicron orienting itself as a “milder” strain of the coronavirus (mainly by sparing the worst of lower respiratory effects as in other previous variants), the sheer transmissibility of the new mutations heavily outweighs any mildness the virus may bring. Tripling the number of daily cases seen during previous waves means more strain on the healthcare system.

What’s happening with the healthcare workforce is a direct reflection of what happens when the world around us causes severe disruptions in the labor market. Now, I completely understand that hospitals and healthcare facilities are directly on the frontlines, and, as such, will always bear the unfortunate burden of having to face the worst of the pandemic nearly two years into this crisis. The fallout, however, is something that will become commonplace across the globe within many other industries.

Healthcare workers are operating under several challenges, including major burnout, long hours, and, worst of all, mental health issues that could eventually force them to leave the industry altogether. More and more nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals (all of whom have spent many years of their life not just in their roles, but also in the preparatory times preceding their careers in school and training) are expected to leave the industry as the physical and mental toll of the pandemic continues on in 2022.

Imagine spending years of your life dedicated to helping other people, and, after all of the time doing so, on top of the years of schooling required to get there, decide to leave the industry altogether? It’s disheartening on many levels. And it’s something that isn’t just specific to the healthcare industry.

The Future of Work Exchange has written about worker burnout and mental wellbeing in the workplace before; however, with an Omicron surge forcing isolation and quarantine for millions of professionals across the country, those are lucky enough to dodge infection are actively feeling the brunt. In warehouses, where workers are often operating side-by-side, just a small percentage of quarantined individuals means that others have to pick up the slack. In veterinary medicine (which hits close to him, since my wife has been in the field for two decades), a range of veterinarians and veterinary technician staff have to pick up extra hours and scramble for coverage in overnight shifts, weekend hours, etc. Worse yet, many veterinary hospitals have had to defer care when staffing shortages at their worst, meaning that only a sliver of specific emergencies (read: life-or-death instances) are seen during particular blocks of time.

Light industrial will feel the brunt over the next several weeks, as will retail, hospitality, and other industries that cannot work remotely. Omicron’s transmissibility means that millions of Americans will become infected throughout the mid-winter weeks, forcing them into isolation and causing ripply disruptions in productivity. Workers that were already unhappy in their positions will contribute the ongoing “Great Resignation” as they are forced to work more hours in unsafe conditions without the flexibility and benefits they desire.

Longer-term, what is happening within the healthcare workforce will be an omniscient preview of how other industries may come out of an Omicron winter. Why is this such a “wake-up call?” Simply put: the last thing any business leader should desire right now is a loss of talent, be it voluntarily or because of COVID. Extreme burnout isn’t occurring in every industry and certainly not at the scale of the healthcare space, however, the deeper Omicron digs its heels into viable hosts over the next several weeks, the more that non-infected workers have to boost their own productivity under existing mental and physical strain.

We’re already dealing with massive levels of resignation across all sectors. The best-aligned talent is harder to find, and, with literal millions of job openings available, it’s going to become more difficult for businesses to engage well-aligned skillsets and expertise. Even though the healthcare workforce is currently experiencing an extreme form of burnout, it doesn’t mean that the same ramifications won’t be present in other industries. Seeing medical professionals with decades of experience up and leave the profession should cause chills across the greater business spectrum, with a clear message for everyone that actively witnesses the burnout and fatigue on display in the nation’s medical facilities:

This could happen to you and your workforce unless you prioritize the wellbeing of your talent.

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Forget About Resolutions…Let’s Optimize 2022

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

In the early evening hours of December 31, 2020, I gathered around a fire pit with my wife, children, and dear friends from around the neighborhood. When we made a toast, I said, “Good riddance, 2020.” The stress, the trauma, and the uncertainty of what was probably the most anxiety-inducing year of our lifetime was ending, and, on the horizon, a 2021 filled with hope and optimism.

Just a couple of months later, I stood in line in the upper concourse of Gillette Stadium (home of my beloved New England Patriots) and awaited the first of my (now) three jabs of the groundbreaking Moderna vaccine. To me, it wasn’t just a vaccine, but rather a representation of how we could collectively move forward from everything that pushed us to our emotional limits in the year that was 2020. Of course, we know what happened next:

  • The biggest vaccination campaign in our lifetime kicked off in early 2021 and provided the world with some measures of optimism entering the spring and summer months.
  • The Delta variant upended some (or most) of those “hot vax summer” plans and caused COVID cases to surge across the world.
  • Talented professionals began leaving their roles in droves, kicking off what is still referred to as “The Great Resignation,” although should now be considered “The Talent Revolution.”
  • Vaccine mandates became sources of political, business, and social disagreements.
  • Another coronavirus variant, Omicron, proved to be the most transmissible of all variants to date and is now responsible for hundreds of daily cases in the United States alone.

We’re about to enter the third full year of a global pandemic. We’re still dealing with large swaths of the workforce voluntarily resigning and leaving their jobs. We’re fighting a battle for equity and inclusion. We’re feeling the ramifications of extreme staffing shortages. We’re continuing to battle for true workplace and workforce flexibility. We’re continuing to feel, hear, and see the exhaustion in the essential workforce community. And we’re still experiencing (even at this point) blow-back to the benefits of remote and hybrid work.

All true. All true. However…

We have the most innovative tools ever designed to better manage talent and talent engagement. We know that empathy is the heart and soul of the best mode of business leadership. We understand what we need to do to solve staffing shortage issues. We have the ability to open our minds and hearts to do the right thing. We have the ability to build digital workplaces and digital workspaces. We know that the extended workforce represents nearly half of all global talent for a very good reason. And we have access to solutions that can provide next-level, AI-fueled data to help us make better business decisions.

The phrase “work optimization” is frequently used in our industry (and here on the Future of Work Exchange) to describe the essential goals of the Future of Work movement: get work done in the most effective way(s) possible. And as the calendar flips to another year, I believe we should take those ideas a step further.

Let’s optimize 2022. Entirely.

That’s right…let’s optimize everything about the year ahead. Let’s look at our talent, how we acquire that talent, how we manage that talent, how we treat that talent, and optimize it all. Let’s optimize the use of technology and automation. Let’s review the ways we manage our staff and the benefits we offer them. Let’s take a long, hard look at just how broad-based our workforce actually is. Let’s continue to lean on remote and hybrid workspaces to boost both safety and productivity. Let’s take that great leap and get closer to being a truly “digital enterprise.” Let’s rethink how technology aids talent engagement. Let’s enable our hiring managers, talent acquisition leaders, and other stakeholders with real-time, AI-fueled total talent intelligence that can revolutionize workforce decision-making.

Let’s focus on how we enable our workers to prosper. Let’s think about the human side of business and how we can improve the emotional connections between leadership and the workforce. Let’s prioritize employee wellbeing and mental health. Let’s take a new approach to enterprise operations and ensure we are embracing change, progression, and evolution.

Let’s make 2022 a time to thrive. Let’s optimize the year ahead and push the Future of Work movement into a new stratosphere.

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THE BEST OF 2021: Once More, With Feeling: Empathy Is the Only Way Forward

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

[We hope you are having a great holiday season! This week, the Future of Work Exchange will highlight the “Best of 2021” as we feature some of our favorite pieces from the past five months since the site launched.]

The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy, we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other.” – Meryl Streep

Over the past several months, there’s one word that has popped up more than so many others in my conversations with hiring managers, business leaders, HR practitioners, and talent acquisition executives. It’s a word that hasn’t been used very often in the corporate world, but it’s a concept that we are learning has such a profound effect on how work gets done. It’s at the very heart of who we are as humans and it’s a reflection of the energy we put out into the world around us. And, as we are finding, it’s a foundational way for businesses and their leaders to build long-lasting relationships with their workforce.

Empathy.

Many of us knew exactly what it would be like when the biggest remote work experiment in history kicked off in the dark days of March 2020. However, many others struggled with newfound responsibilities within their home as kids shuffled no further than the kitchen table and a laptop instead of to the bus. Many of us waded in the collective, anxious waters of a global pandemic that forced us indoors and to shutter social interaction. And too many of us still bear the scars of the most dangerous public health crisis in our lifetimes.

All of this means one thing: empathy must be the root of how we move forward. It must be the foundational layer to how we approach how work gets done and how we structure a workplace environment that is both inclusive and safe. It also means that, in the face of the Delta variant’s rampage across the country (and world), we as business leaders and we as business workers must prioritize empathy in nearly every facet of how we address our roles, our jobs, and our communications with each other.

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research finds that 77% of businesses expect more empathy-driven leadership moving forward within their organizations, proving that “cold” and archaic modes of leadership, particularly instilling a culture of fear and rigidity, are detrimental to the overall enterprise. In order to retain talent and reengage key workers when needed, business leaders must create, foster, and deliver on the best possible workplace culture. By reinforcing expectations, practicing transparency, promoting positivity, and leveraging accountability (for both workers and managers), business leaders will ensure that empathetic efforts will help their organizations improve the talent experience for its total workforce.

Empathy within the workplace (and the workforce) has incredible benefits:

  • Empathy-led leadership will help business execs develop long-lasting relationships with its workforce. Workers that can perform their tasks with a touch of flexibility whilst feeling comfortable and safe within an inclusive environment are more likely to want to have a better relationship with their managers. Workers will be more apt to open additional lines of communication with their leaders and be honest about their workloads and any pressure they may be feeling about their roles. These long-lasting relationships can be especially critical when workers have opportunities outside of the organization, and, could potentially be a deciding factor on taking their talents elsewhere or staying put.
  • Leveraging empathy as a core Future of Work tenet will result in more productive workers and teams (and better business outcomes). Appreciation is also another factor that can catalyze a workforce. Workers that feel appreciated, along with a sense of physiological safety in an empathetic environment, are more likely to perform at a higher level due to a better overall employee experience. If they truly believe in what they are doing and feel that they are appreciated in how they perform their jobs, that extra level of value certainly cascades into the ultimate completion of the project. “Better business outcomes” has long been a goal for organizations, and empathy as a foundational workplace facet can be a critical contributor to achieving this initiative.
  • Empathy fosters a better connection with workers that can help stave off potential issues before they are exacerbated. Workers that have an open line of communication with their leaders will always feel that they can discuss major personal and business issues without fear of scrutiny or reprisal. In these scenarios, simply talking about problems, especially before they become worse, can potentially stave off detachment from the role or even resignations. Leaders pushing empathy can foster stronger relationships with their workers and ensure that these unions are robust tools in boosting the overall talent experience. In age that some have dubbed “The Great Resignation,” anything that executives can do in terms of empathy, flexibility, etc. will go a long way towards key talent retention.
  • Empathy-led leadership is one of several solutions to worker burnout. Think about the world we’re currently living in. The pandemic has been nothing short of an anxiety-ridden rollercoaster ride. Some of us have lost loved ones, others have been sick and experienced COVID first-hand. Many of us still battle with the lingering personal ramifications of this public health crisis. As we discussed recently, worker burnout is an epidemic on top of a pandemic; business leaders are the essential front-line of defense when it comes to curtailing this major issue. Empathetic and inclusive workplace environments (including, yes, remote environments!) can help curb some of the worker burnout issues that plague today’s talent by helping employees feel that 1) they are not alone in what they are doing, 2) they can reach out for help if they are overwhelmed, 3) they can establish flexible boundaries for when personal issues need to be prioritized, and, 4) they can work effectively with their leadership team to construct the best possible work-life balance for the maximum productivity and wellness.

A phrase known as “compassion fatigue” has been uttered lately as more and more leaders tire of the past eighteen months and the changes they’ve had to make in how they manage their workforce (it’s also a phrase thought of and spoken by medical workers that are rightfully exhausted at the thought of caring for unvaccinated individuals as hospitals begin to surge once again across the country). The FOWX theory is this: if business leaders are tiring of pushing empathy and rooting it into the foundation of their workplace environments, they shouldn’t be surprised when productivity wanes or workers begin to quit.

The COVID-19 pandemic (an ongoing pandemic, I may add) has been stressful for everyone, no doubt. However, empathy is the only way forward for the world of business. It’s the only way that workers will have a sense of inclusion, wellness, and appreciation. Leaders must respond to challenging times with empathy and flexibility, not just for themselves, but for their direct reports, as well. According to Future of Work Exchange research, nearly 70% of businesses expect leadership to focus understanding the perspectives of the workforce as they adapt to personal and professional change over the next 12 months. When the public health crisis is in the rear-view, it will be those businesses that have led with empathy and truly understand the human elements of their workforce that will retain their top talent.

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