According to CNN, in the U.S. alone some 47.4 million jobs were left voluntarily last year, and many of these people have yet to rejoin the workforce. This substantial shift in workplace population has been dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’ in some media circles.
This is to the extent where Goldman Sachs estimates that approximately 2.5 million people are still missing from the workforce citing the reasons being prolonged COVID-19 concerns, childcare shortages and lifestyle changes, among a multitude of others.
The challenge U.S. faces now is how to entice these people to reenter the workforce.
How might this be done? According to Guenther Eisinger, Co-founder of Omnipresent, the answer is a remote work policy.
Eisinger explains to Digital Journal: “Teams not hiring remotely are discovering a drastic staffing disadvantage. The pandemic and resulting digital transformation revolution have created new realities and possibilities in the way people work.”
Remote working can also contribute to reducing tension. For instance, in many cases working remotely has allowed employees to alleviate stress by working out midday, listening to music or podcasts while working, or going for a walk.
Companies should acknowledge, accept and embrace this change, Eisinger says. “This is the time to be re-examining the current employment strategies within organizations and leveraging what this new work environment needs to look like for the future. The prioritized importance of ensuring a work-life balance means that companies have to be empathetic, first and foremost, to be able to attract good talent.”
This might suggest, for example, that people are happier working remotely versus having to work on-site in an office.
Eisinger’s advice to firms, as a strategy of slowing down the loss of workers, is: “Flexibility and personalizing the employee experience are also important for the changing needs of millennials and Gen Z in the workplace, and ensures employees have options to work in the way that works best for them.” Many in this particular demographic infer that their mental health has been impacted positively since working from home.
