By Carmen Donnell, CAPP

Over the last year, we have been hearing more and more about ‘the great resignation’ and perhaps more so in tech than any other industry.  I read a catchy phrase the other day that suggested what is far worse than ‘the great resignation’ is ‘the great resignation’…the concept that it’s better to have team members move on to new opportunities than to have these resigned and defeated team members stay.

There are many reasons why we choose to leave our roles for something different, and some of them may be hard or impossible to combat.  These days, large salary increases are being dangled in front of talented staff as there are shortages in certain sectors.  Promises of a better life balance, benefits, or even just a fresh new start with no debt can be compelling.  Then, of course, there is the biggest reason of all why people leave their roles – a bad manager!  In these cases, when someone wants to leave, let them and be graceful about it. If your team member has already fully checked out, fighting to keep them is expensive and demoralizing for everyone.  But if it’s not too late, a bit of effort and communication may be key to keeping them around.

Ask questions like, “Do you feel safe being your authentic self at the workplace?” or, “Do you feel satisfied with the value you are bringing to the company and understand what that value is?”  Take the time to understand what motivates the employee from a compensation perspective, as it’s often not more money!  It may be more time off, or a more flexible work schedule.  When these topics are better understood by both the employee and the manager, tweaks and changes can be made to completely change the dynamic.

It’s natural this time of year for us all to take time and reflect on the previous year’s successes and failures and come up with plans for the future. What better time to check in with ourselves and our team members to better understand what motivates us, what keeps us fulfilled in our roles, if there are areas that can be improved upon to prevent both resignation… and resignation!

Carmen Donnell, CAPP, is vice president, sales, North America, with PayByPhone.