A dire warning

“Customers will only love a company when the employees love it first.”
Simon Sinek

Writing in a recent post at Forbes, leadership strategist Dan Pontefract gives a dire warning to executives, especially those in HR and talent development.

The Great Resignation, he says, isn’t really a thing. Sure, the data on the number of people who have quit their jobs since the onset of the pandemic is astonishing, but the headlines, he says, are missing the trend line – that of a Great Contemplation.

The deeper trend about which we should all be concerned is what’s brewing. Among knowledge workers, nearly everyone is contemplating quitting or changing their roles in 2022, and depending on the survey or industry, those “contemplation” rates generally fluctuate between 40-80%, which translates into millions of workers who are rethinking their employment.

What are they contemplating? Fulfillment, flexibility, purpose, culture, care.

Now more than ever, people understand that even when we love our work, it can’t love us back, especially when times are tough. Only people can do that by making genuine concern, care, and acts of kindness a part of their routine. Management can support that by making sure its people and its culture are emotionally intelligent.

“The year 2022 is going to see contemplation turn into a talent war. In fact, it’s no longer going to be coined a talent war; we’re heading for a talent apocalypse,”  Pontefract warns.

What should we do? Now is an urgent time for organizations to examine their culture, leadership practices, and employee experience, and do whatever they can to prevent that from happening before it’s too late.

Do you know anyone who is in the midst of a great contemplation? At Advantage, we’re looking for would-be entrepreneurs who might be a great fit for our group. We’re holding a recruitment open house on December 14 for qualified individuals. (Note: We’re not hiring. This is a potential opportunity for motivated, experienced talent development/B2B sales professionals who are contemplating going out on their own.) Find out more here.

One great thing for 11.30.21 – Simon Sinek on the biggest mistake companies make when they’re trying to make a cultural transformation

More great things →