The Great Resignation: Debunked

Business owners and entrepreneurs everywhere were flooded with news detailing the movement  placing businesses of all kinds in jeopardy: the Great Resignation.

The Great Resignation, also coined the ‘Great Reshuffle’ and the not-so-clever ‘Big Quit,’ was a movement of workers everywhere voluntarily leaving or quitting their jobs to seek better employment.  This began in late Spring of 2021, as the number of workers in the United States who quit their jobs rose significantly.

This was a pandemic-era occurrence, meaning the trend originated when COVID-19 had reached its peak. Many U.S. workers that worried about the pandemic in any capacity looked to quitting their jobs as an answer.          

The Great Resignation introduced trouble for leaders and entrepreneurs, and the way the media described it only intensified fears. The trend was described as a plague, wreaking havoc on the everyday business.

While accounts of the Great Resignation sinking its jaws into businesses all over the country are still being reported, we here at the ALL IN Company have something to add to this discourse: We call BS!

You heard it here first, folks. The Great Resignation was not what everyone thought…

The media was pushing modern employee and workplace trends into a box and labeling it the ‘Great Resignation.' There will always be new trends in employee stability, performance, and expectations, but this branded movement of employees ditching work at accelerated rates and subpar employees holding employers hostage was an exaggeration meant to unnerve business owners and the public.         

We don’t blame you for being anxious about the Great Resignation. The title is modeled after one of the scariest periods of misfortune business owners have ever experienced: The Great Depression. However, the title ‘Great Depression’ wasn’t used by the media until years after the stock market crash.

We’re constantly living in the middle of history; we don't have much capability to label any current events as devastating historical periods. The Great Resignation could have been a completely avoidable movement; it brought to light businesses that did not value and treat their employees well and employees took notice. 

Many myths make up the Great Resignation. Said myths aren’t exactly false… but they aren’t exactly perilous either.

What happened with the Great Resignation is a common media tactic— true trends and occurrences are twisted to fit a narrative that will catch the eye of any business owner and push them into consuming certain information in the hopes of a solution.

The process of debunking the Great Resignation requires us to examine these myths for the truth and ditch the false, fear mongering parts. Here we go!

MYTH #1: “Nobody wants to work.”

Most people will always need to work. The fact is more people than ever (including folks who are already employed somewhere) are in the job market. The reason? The job seekers are on the hunt for their ‘perfect job fit.’

Many jobs do not offer enough resources, mobility, or flexibility to their staff. This means 5-Star Employees are looking for better jobs even while they are still employed, which is actually good news for you - the small business owner! With more good people on the job market searching for their perfect job, you’ll have more excellent candidates to choose from than ever before.

This hiring hack will keep the Great Resignation from effecting your business:  Be more specific with your job postings because the average worker is becoming more savvy with their job searches. 

MYTH #2: “Everywhere I go is understaffed”

While there are some businesses struggling to rebuild their staff, this isn’t a sweeping plague brought on by the Great Resignation. This is a trend with bigger businesses and corporations where team members are walking out because of poor management.

Remember what we mentioned earlier about 5-Star Employees keeping one foot in the job market?

People need their jobs, but they are pursuing better options.

Many employees leave one job for another and find it was a bait-and-switch. They think they’re stepping into a better workplace, but it’s not what they expected at all (and it’s not what the job posting advertised…).

This back and forth trend amplifies the need for employers to get specific with job postings, concisely share company culture, perks, and uphold the promises put out there. When you go ALL IN on your employees, you have nothing to fear. Not even a ‘Big Quit.’

MYTH #3: "Remote Work is Destructive to the Job Industry"

The biggest effect of the pandemic on businesses was the switch from typical in-person jobs to remote work. Many businesses could manage this and did so during and even after the COVID-19 lockdown until in-person social gatherings were deemed safe to resume.

The media went wild creating headlines during the pandemic based on the new numbers of remote workers. It was deduced that working from home would make people lazy, and once they got a taste of that lifestyle, jobs requiring in-person presence would be in trouble. Essentially, the remote work vibe would infect everyone, and in-person jobs would be no more. Just another scare tactic by the media.      

Remote work is not your enemy! Remaining remote is a great idea dependent on the type of business. Certain companies and positions benefit from remote work! In some cases, it means higher productivity, better culture, or simply because it is cheaper than keeping office space.

People feared the remote work trend because it was a new craze being boosted by social media, which is a tool not every business has or can conquer.

Based on what the media was saying - it was easy to assume every business was understaffed, but it's  because large corporations that dominate the restaurant and fast food industries received backlash from their employees, thus making juicy headlines. 

The job market is, quite literally, packed with people these days.  

So, what should you do next?

Reach out to the ALL IN Company - we are here to help you navigate your business through the trends and shifts in the hiring world. So, what’s the best advice we give?

Go ALL IN on your employees!

Going ALL IN means caring about the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention of your staff. 5-Star Employees will take that foot out of the job market if they feel welcome, valued, and accepted in your organization.

In the face of the Great Resignation BS, you can be a rockstar employer by integrating proven processes into each part of your employment process.

If you remain thoughtful, diligent, and open to change in your hiring and retention policies, the Big Quit won’t mean shit to the future of your business!

Learn from the best - our academy teaches you how to write stellar job postings to recruit, hire, and retain those 5-Star Employees - thus debunking the Great Resignation BS!