The Great Reshuffle - What We Have Learned So Far

« Back to Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the biggest global disturbances in human history, and society has been rocked in a way never seen before. With the introduction of covid became the new age of working from home, meeting virtually and continuing to run businesses from our sofas. The impact on our mental health, professional/home and social life has been revolutionary, with everyone having their own unique experience within the last 2 years.

Since the initial lockdown in 2020, when we all naively thought we would be back to normal in a matter of months, what is being dubbed as ‘the new normal’ would be working from the comfort of our own homes, using Slack and Teams to keep up the social working atmosphere. The concept of working from home for the majority of the week would have been dubbed unusual and unsustainable before 2020, with commuting and rush hour being the expectation with any role, however now it is becoming a standard offering. Once the world started slowly transitioning to vaccines and restrictions, those who were lucky enough to have been furloughed were coming back to the 9-5 life working from home - what is being called the Great Resignation, into the Great Reshuffle, was beginning.

The term ‘great resignation’ indicates that people are simply leaving the workforce, some taking early retirement, however, millions of people are reconfiguring their careers. With the door opening due to remote working, it has meant that job opportunities are no longer restricted to location, and with nothing but time inside (thank you lockdown) to think about your life has given people the chance to think about what they would rather be doing professionally.

A prime example of this is seen within the hospitality and accommodation services, which sadly suffered the most from the pandemic. We saw over 1 million resignations within this industry between July and November 2020 alone, despite the furlough scheme, studies show that many of these individuals are not looking to continue working within this industry, but departing it entirely. The pandemic has showcased the fragility of some industries, with numerous individuals being drawn towards a role that would be secure and continue to support them should another pandemic occur.

Although, in contrast to the hospitality and accommodation industry, many organisations discovered that they flourished during this time, with profits rising and the need to hire, when the lockdowns were all finally lifted, there were a lot of applicants alongside no shortage of roles. Throughout 2021, a record number of people were applying for a record number of roles - between July to September 2021, the vacancies were at over 1 million. People realised that they wanted to spend their time doing something completely different!

The essential part of work being in the office is no longer essential, but an option. The ability for employees to be able to work from anywhere has become a new adjustment to a company's structure. Applicants are seeking roles that allow them to have the ability to choose where and when they would like to work, alongside additional benefits such as pawternity leave (extra leave when you become a dog parent!), unlimited holiday, or shorter working Fridays. A 2021 study from Microsoft revealed that 70% of workers want flexible work opportunities to continue going forward, and 46% of people stated that they are likely to change jobs because they can work remotely. This has become the new reality for most industries, and if they want to keep their employees happy, they need to uncover ways in which they can cater to their needs.

Highly valued employees wanting a change could be swayed to look elsewhere, and staff retention has never been more important. Keeping conversations open with staff about what they want from work and how it can be fulfilled is key, setting up regular calls to check in are invaluable, and keeping communication open between management and staff. The overarching feeling is that we want our work to work for us.

When it comes to employee retention, a great way to improve and enhance it within an organisation is through implementing a mentoring program. Traditionally, this was done through face-to-face meetings, however, the shift in technology has allowed for mentoring to be conducted through online platforms. If you want to learn more about keeping employees happy and improving retention rates through mentoring, book a free demonstration with PushFar - the world's leading mentoring and career progression platform.