Listen closely to the Quiet Quitters

The future of work is coming…quickly. As the future draws near, leaders must prepare for substantial shifts in labor market dynamics. In response to The Great Resignation (cue Beyoncé's 'Break My Soul') and a fear of a pending recession, economists are seeing a growing movement among employers known as “labor hoarding.” 

The massive wave of employees voluntarily resigning (or in some cases “quiet quitting”) has organizations holding on tightly to their current teams. Although the economy may be slowing down, leaders recognize the critical need to sustain team engagement and interest as they weather the storm through a gloomy economic forecast. In lieu of layoffs, employers would rather retain talent than experience the high cost of turnover - which goes beyond revenue. 

How are companies holding on to talent with unpredictable labor market dynamics and a seemingly growing disengaged workforce?

There are many strategies teams can implement to prepare for the future of work and keep employees satisfied. One of the major tactics is to shift workplace structures and evolve communication systems. As hierarchical structures fade away in the face of more successful innovation structures, organizations must develop new communication channels and decision-making frameworks to accommodate self-managing, cross-functional teams. Studies have found that self-managing teams wildly outperform companies with Industrial Age hierarchies.

This strategy also focuses on improving employee experiences, including culture, DEI initiatives, and correlated mental health experiences. All of these factors are a driving force in an organization’s overall success. In order to better understand what matters to your team, it means leaders must have open dialogues and navigate conversations that aren’t always easy. Truly listening to your team is how you will uncover insight, breed understanding, and continue improvements in workplace culture. For additional support through this process, download our free Tough Topics template.

The future of work means changing today. That starts with examining your current workplace structures you have in place and evolving those systems to provide a better team environment. While change is often uncomfortable for most, remember that it is an opportunity, not an obstacle. For more insight into the future, check out our Work Now report. 

We invite you to take part in our next Work Now report, where we will focus on managing hybrid work, psychological safety, DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging), and polarized workplaces. Follow the link below to share your valuable insight and experiences as leaders in the industry.

 Douglas Ferguson | President, Voltage Control

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We are conducting a survey on the future of hybrid and/or remote work. Topics that you’ll encounter in this survey include managing work, psychological safety, DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging), and polarized workplaces. We will also ask you some demographic questions at the end of the survey to help us analyze the data and get a better sense of who took the survey. 

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When Jenni Robertson, Voltage Control's Head of Operations, was killed by her husband after a prolonged period of abuse, our grief was amplified because we were unaware of the situation and had missed important signs and signals we could have spotted with proper training. We knew that we wanted to learn how to spot abuse and support those affected by family violence and also that as a change agency we wanted to help other companies do the same.

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+ Articles +

Within any organization, change is a given. If leaders approach change without empathy, transparency, or understanding, that change can be blown out of proportion and feared. Each team member can and will interpret the consequences of change differently. As leaders shrinking the change at hand and reassessing culture are critical to the success and the sustainability of the change at hand.

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