It shouldn’t take a global health crisis for us to realise what really matters to us in life, but one side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is that many people have reassessed their priorities. Health scares, bereavement and grief, working harder than ever before or being furloughed for months on end, sitting in isolation staring at the same four walls…all of these pressures have contributed to what the media has coined ‘The Great Resignation’.
It may be overhyped – a degree of churn was always likely after the artificially low turnover rates of 2020 – but many HR leaders agree more people are on the move, top talent can take their pick of offers, and it is becoming harder to fill vacancies.
According to research by Randstad UK, conducted at the end of 2021, 69% of UK employees said they felt confident to move jobs in the next couple of months, while a quarter said they planned to move in the next three to six months (compared to 11% in an average year). Given the ambitious growth and recovery plans of many organisations, it’s enough to make any manager's heart sink.
So how can people professionals tackle this challenge? How can they retain and attract the people they need to deliver? The answer lies in creating a sticky workplace. That doesn’t mean neglecting to clean the floors for a few weeks. Rather it’s about creating an environment that people don’t want to leave; one that attracts new talent like a magnet.
Such an environment is one that offers a sense of autonomy, a degree of flexibility around how (and if possible) when and where work gets done, a strengths-based approach to performance and plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Encouraging and enabling job crafting is one compelling way of providing all of the above. It allows people to shape their job around their strengths and passions, making it a better fit for them as individuals. Research shows job crafting has a positive effect on motivation, job satisfaction, wellbeing, perceptions of meaning and purpose at work and – subsequently – performance.
Here are five ways taking a more personalised approach to work can help you attract and retain great people:
Finding purpose & meaning
With the pandemic forcing a re-evaluation of what matters, purpose is more important than ever. Research from Hays recently found 62% of people would take a pay cut for a job with more purpose. Allowing people to craft their role around what matters to them can help boost an individual’s overall sense of meaning and purpose around their contribution within an organisation.
Centering wellbeing
Studies have found a positive correlation between job crafting and wellbeing. With work a driver of stress for many – the CIPD states one in four workers cite work as having a negative impact on their mental health – wellbeing has become a source of competitive advantage. While thinking about physical and mental health is critical, taking a holistic approach to wellbeing means understanding that job design can help people thrive in the fullest sense.
Playing to strengths
We all have unique strengths, things we are naturally great at and qualities we feel energised by using. Gallup has found people who are given the opportunity to use their strengths at work are more engaged, more productive, less likely to quit and report having a higher quality of life. Encouraging people to play to their strengths creates a positive working culture that retains talent, as well as boosting organisational performance.
Powering progression
There exists no shortage of surveys showing that a lack of development opportunities is a top cited reason for people quitting. According to Right Management, 60% of employees would be more loyal if their developmental needs were being fulfilled by their employer. Job crafting stimulates growth and development on both a personal and professional level and has been positively linked with skills and knowledge development and career progression.
Prioritising relationships
Organisations are made up of diverse individuals and positive relationships can drive businesses. Collaboration is often a core value and desired behaviour, but the enforced isolation of the last two years has left some leaders worried about weakened connections. Relationship crafting is one dimension of job crafting and encouraging people to invest in their work relationships can help strengthen a sense of connection to the organisation, creating emotional ties and boosting retention.
We live in the era of increasing personalisation. People expect a consumer grade experience in every area of their lives. Work is no different. Embracing some of the principles of job crafting can help create the kind of positive working environments and experience that so many are now searching for.
