There’s an interesting phenomenon going on in the world today called the “Great Resignation”. Workers over the past year have been leaving their jobs in droves to pursue education, become a stay-at-home parent, or pursue a career they’re more interested in. Microsoft conducted a survey of more than 30,000 global workers that showed 41% of workers were considering and/or changing professions(bbc.com). While many factors contribute to these statistics, one that surfaced repeatedly is people want to get out of toxic work environments.
Last month, Brian Chorba highlighted in his article how thriving companies are putting high importance on values and career development for employees, which for employees, are no longer just a “perk” of working at a quality company. Employees are starting to realize they don’t have to settle for unhealthy, toxic work environments. This is highlighted on social media where, at some individual fast-food locations, every employee quit because they are no longer willing to be mistreated by a large company that doesn’t actually value their employees. Sadly, we see similar situations in industries across-the-board.
The story is not all negative. We do see people moving towards companies that value their employees, are invested in their futures, want employees to maximize their talents, and care about their employee’s health. People want to be valued. People want to work at companies where values drive behavior.
That is why Values-Based Leadership is so important for you and your company. Don’t be the toxic organization that employees are fleeing from. Be the values-driven company where employees feel valued, heard, and want to contribute to.