The ‘great resignation’ during the pandemic has handed job seekers more control. Jo Cribb looks specifically at what women want as they pick and choose whom they work for.
It sounds like a promo for a cheesy documentary: we asked 6000 women in six countries how Covid has impacted on their lives and careers.
But no. It’s the byline for the research report released last month by learning company Pearson.
Nearly all surveyed thought the pandemic had made them reevaluate their lives and careers. Ninety percent of them expected to change job (or at least try to) in the next 12 months.
It might be global data, but anecdotally it looks like job-jumping is starting here already.
Someone referred to “the great resignation” in a Zoom call yesterday as way of explaining why she now had three job titles. She is covering for two roles vacated by unexpected resignations and currently unable to be filled.
Employers are going to have to make sure they are attractive if they want to attract and retain employers. They will need to show their peacock to compete.
Looks like 2022 is likely to be costly to employers. Some studies predict that the cost of replacing an employee is, on average, six to nine months of their salary. It’s up to 150 percent of the employee’s salary for technical roles; over 200 percent for senior managers.
Looks like 2022 will also bring a lot of choice for job seekers.
Seek reports substantial month-on-month increases in the number of jobs advertised, silly numbers compared with previous years.
I always thought “the talent war” was a phrase used only in those cheap management books we used to buy in airports. But all evidence points to it being real. Job seekers are in control. They can and will pick and chose who they work for.
And when those jobseekers are women, what we want is clear. Pearson’s research found that what women wanted most was a competitive salary: salary or wages that paid decently to support themselves and their families.
Flexible working arrangements and workplaces that supported their mental and physical health ranked next.
Public reporting of pay gaps, culture surveys and the like look to be the not-so-secret weapon in the war for talent in 2022 and beyond.
Sadly, being free from sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace made it onto the list.
Randstad’s research found similar results with flexible work arrangements rating very highly (though they also found we are quite partial to getting a car park with half of us putting that on our ‘’must have’’ list when job searching).
What this all means is that employers are going to have to make sure they are attractive if they want to attract and retain employers. They will need to show their peacock to compete.
Workers have spoken. Attractive means paying fairly. Attractive means no pay gaps; no discrimination by gender or ethnicity. It also means offering real flexibility and healthy workplace cultures. Maybe even car parks.
Employers will need to showcase how good they are to potential employees. Flutter their tail feathers about.
That means public reporting of pay gaps, culture surveys and the like look to be the not-so-secret weapon in the war for talent in 2022 and beyond.
