‘Great Resignation’ leads employers to find creative ways to keep employees

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of people quitting their jobs is at the highest level since the agency started keeping track 22 years ago.

Ava Smith, a human resources consultant who owns Flat Fee Recruiting and Ava Smith & Associates, said the COVID pandemic has changed expectations for both employees and employers.

“People during COVID and the shutdown had an opportunity to be more introspective. They learned more about themselves,” Smith told FOX Carolina. “They realize that, ‘Hey, I want to be in a place where it feels holistic. It’s not just about me showing up and working.’”

Smith said younger employees are demanding schedules that allow them to pursue other interests outside of work that allow them to feel more engaged in the community. She said many employees also prefer the option of working remotely.

While there has been a lot of focus on ways to keep workers on the job, Smith said many companies also need to focus more on hiring people with appropriate work history and skills and integrating them into the workplace.

“I see a lot of companies that just hire people on the fly because they’re desperate,” Smith said. “But that does translate later into turnover.”

Smith said companies should also recognize that simply hiring someone who made a positive impression during the interview doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll do well on the job.

“If you bring them into your organization...and they’re just kind of thrown into the pool and expected to swim, that makes them feel uneasy,” Smith said. “Sometimes they’ll go to a company that has a better onboarding process.”

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