The Great Resignation

2021 saw record numbers of people being fired and/or walking away from their jobs. While COVID was a big factor in this decision for many, this shift also led thousands of employees to evaluate their values, their goals and the quality of treatment they’re willing to work under in their roles.

This is perhaps the biggest sociological factor of this mass exodus: people are less willing than ever to be treated poorly by their employers and the clients they serve. Especially in service positions, when companies don’t care for their employees well, those individuals have realized there are other, often remote, options.

In this section, we want to empower you as a leader to both create a healthy environment for those you lead and to evaluate the influx of departures and arrivals occurring on your staff. You’re either considering a move yourself or you have someone on your team who is considering a move … so let’s navigate these unique challenges with humility, wisdom, and integrity.

Four Secrets of Team Retention

It can feel like a fighting against an ocean current to keep team members during this shift—especially for companies who don’t have a strong mission and vision. The more you define your culture as an organization, the more you’re empowered to care for your people. The vast majority of team members don’t leave for money—they leave for lack of appreciation and leadership. Here are some quick thoughts on how to prevent this in your own team:

1. Show Value. Value your team above the product or the productivity of your organization. The pitfall so many managers and CEOs fall into is burning out their teams for the sake of gain. This can happen in a church just as easily as in a corporation. Where’s your heart? Do you come into the office ready to connect with those you lead and help them succeed? Or are they merely a means to an end?

Oliver Horn, an executive with 33 years of hospitality experience with various prestigious hotel brands like Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, and InterContinental, wrote this about the importance of valuing your team above all else:

“Employers’ social responsibility to the communities in which they do business was one of the first victims of the pandemic. The understanding that “our staff is our most valuable asset” turned into pure semantics. Today, as these businesses celebrate that they are opening again, there is a surprising level of surprise among the most callous of employers that now they can’t find staff. The industry will have to come up with new ways of working if they want to attract colleagues back – the loss of trust and goodwill will have serious repercussions.”

Horn, O. (2021). “The Great Resignation: stopping the ‘bleed’.” Hospitality Insights, 5(2), 1-2. https://doi.org/10.24135/hi.v5i2.111

2. Trust Needs to Go Both Ways. Employers need to earn the trust of their employees, yes…but they also need to demonstrate trust in their employees by not micromanaging them. They need to listen to their suggestions, respect their insights, and empower them to lead. It’s too much to bear on your shoulders all alone.
3. Create a Culture of Vulnerability. This doesn’t mean using the phrase, “We’re a family.” While you should always have boundaries with your team, they need to see that you’re human, too. When layoffs or resignations happen—when stuff hits the fan—don’t pretend that nothing’s amiss. People are too smart to buy that. They’re looking to you in the crisis for acknowledgment and affirmation. So be honest about how hard it is—you’ll be surprised how much more passionate your team can be when they know you’re emotionally in the trenches with them!
4. Encourage Rest. If your employees aren’t using their vacation time, encourage them to take advantage of this to refuel themselves. People work best when they work from their rest, not just rest from their work! In this remote working era, the separation between home life and work can be even more difficult to define. So encourage your team to unplug completely when they’re away—they’ll be able to fully plug in once they get back!

Navigating Your Shifts—Or Someone Else’s…

So what happens when you’ve poured your efforts into creating a healthy culture, and someone still turns in that letter? Or when you’re sensing a shift in your own journey quickly approaching? Here are some essential steps your organization must take to build a healthy transition and off-boarding process.

1. Build in a process. Don’t leave employees wondering about severance, exit interviews, or other off-boarding procedures. The more they have to ask about these things, the less appreciated they feel—and likely, the more frustrated. It’s already stressful enough for them (and for you!) knowing that the transition is coming. So be clear up front about what the schedule looks like, when things are taking place, and what they can expect.
2. Start the hand-off early. The sooner you can start training replacements and transferring responsibilities, the smoother this process will be. Now, this doesn’t mean your employee “phones it in” for the last weeks of their tenure with you. But it does mean you’re not leaving them to frantically train someone in the few hours of their last day. Plan ahead, and do the best you can with the time you have.
3. Take care of your team. The off-boarding season is one of the most powerful times you have to create a reputation for your organization. This person will be sharing how you treated them—from the first day to the last day. Compensate them. Find out where they’re going and what they’re going to. Do your best to appreciate the work they’ve done for you and the passion they’ve brought to your team. How a work relationship ends is even more important than how it begins, so don’t let emotions or busyness keep you from treating your people right, all the way to the end.

Exit Plan: Leaving with grace and integrity

1. Do it face-to-face. No one appreciates an email or a text. Set up a coffee or a meeting.
2. Give plenty of notice. This empowers your employer to prepare and to off-board you well. It also speaks well of your maturity and responsibility in your current and future roles.
3. Write a clear, honest resignation letter. Be respectful but honest in your feedback. This is going to help your employer understand what needs to improve, as well as your reasons for leaving.
4. Follow through. Finish out your time well. Bring your best until you finish that last day. Work unto the Lord, even when you’re thinking of what’s ahead. He will bless your efforts.

For Further Reading

The Great Resignation: Why Millions are Leaving Their Jobs and Who Will Win the Battle for Talent, is a 2021 book detailing the intricacies of this shift and what leaders can do to capitalize on the pool of skilled workers currently looking for a better fit. Written by Russ Hill, consultant and coach for some of the world’s biggest companies including Amazon, and Jared Jones, consultant to well-known organizations including the U.S. Navy, this book is packed with tools to help you come out on top during this tumultuous season.

Remember, it’s impossible to avoid shifts in your team altogether—but it is possible to navigate them with excellence and respect for everyone involved!

Toni Collier’s Top 10 Resource Recommendations

Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty and Community by Curt Thompson, MD 

Curt has written a masterpiece on understanding the depths of our longing, beauty and true desire. While he’s included a ton of research in this book, it is not at all absent of the presence of Jesus and His desire to fulfill us in these ways.

Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep by Tish Harrison Warren 

This is one of those books that you’ll be eager to get to right before bed as you close the day. It teaches us how to open our mouths and reach out to God for prayer that claws us out of the darkest seasons.

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge 

This book changed my perspective on my femininity and how God created me to be. It taught me that my gender is not my weakness, but the greatest gift that a Creator could give His daughter who is ultimately made in the combination of His image.

Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer 

Priscilla knows how to get into quiet spaces and meet her heavenly Father. And then fervently she teaches us all how to do the same. This book radically put fuel to my prayer life and taught me how to really fight for the things that I want.

So Long, Insecurity: You’ve Been a Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore 

The hardest part of my healing journey was admitting that I was insecure. But what’s even more difficult is healing from the depths of that. Beth Moore has written a very practical and clear guide to making that journey even easier.

God Made You to Be You by Jamie Ivey 

I love this kids’ book! And so does my daughter, Dylan. It originally came from Jamie’s adult book You Be You, and it’s perfect for giving kids a godly confidence that the world will try to take away.

Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen 

What a powerful book about taking your thoughts captive and replacing them with truth and godly wisdom. We all know that our thoughts lead to feelings and ultimately to actions. This book helps us navigate that process in a healthy and honest way.

One Thousand Gifts: Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp 

If you haven’t followed Ann on Instagram or listened to her speak, then honestly you’re missing out! What an incredible representation of the gracefulness and gentleness of our heavenly father. In One Thousand Gifts, Ann gently carries us back to simply remembering and opening our eyes to what’s already around us. A must read.

Imperfect Courage: Live a Life of Purpose by Leaving Comfort and Going Scared by Jessica Honegger 

I love that Jessica doesn’t pretend that courage isn’t hard. In this book she challenges us all to do the very thing that we are afraid of with a posture of imperfection and vulnerability. I’ve learned to just do the thing, scared.

The Chosen (TV Series) by Dallas Jenkins

I don’t know why it took me so long to listen to all of my friends who told me to dive into The Chosen, but I am grateful for the day that I did. This dynamic and engaging visual representation of the story of Jesus and the followers around Him is simply stunning. I think it has shaped my faith in a way that I never expected.

BIO: Toni Collier is an author, speaker and the founder of Broken Crayons Still Color, an online community that resources women through events, a course, social media content and devotionals. Toni and her husband, Sam, live in Atlanta, where Sam serves as the lead pastor of Hillsong Atlanta. Read more about Toni in her profile on page 20 of this issue of AVAIL.