Many workers are happy in their new positions amid the Great Resignation. But in hindsight, not everyone is pleased with their decisions. According to a March survey of around 2,000 US workers who quit their job in the past two years, about one in five said they regretted doing so. Many employees expressed remorse for their new role.

Regret over joining the Great Resignation

For nearly a year, about four million US workers quit their jobs every month for better pay or roles that align more with their values. This contributed to the hiring crisis that's seeing great competition for talent. Other countries find themselves in the same situation. Many workers are tempted to change jobs due to the scramble for candidates. Recruiters oversell positions with flashy sales pitches, and candidates may miss some red flags.

Why regret is on the rise

When colleagues resign in a hot job market, workers may feel they are missing out. They may view all other companies with rose-tinted glasses and overweigh the positives of trying something new. Currently, it is also easier to quit than to have tough conversations with management. But people often don't realise that every job has its own issues, leading to intense quitter's remorse.

The grass is greener on the other side

It is common for new employees to reminisce over previous workmates and past tasks and then feel regret. Quitter's remorse can cloud an employee's judgement. During a difficult transition, a worker in the current job market may be quick to quit again. The danger is constantly restarting the cycle. The best is to acknowledge regret and then push through those feelings while adjusting and building up your relationships and effectiveness at the new job.

Regret as part of the job

Plenty of workers are happy in their new positions amid the Great Resignation. But for some, hindsight is 20/20.

Stashed ideas

Quitter's remorse: The workers who regret resigning

Nearly a decade ago, most candidates applied to 70-80 jobs before finding themselves in a company,  It wasn’t for lack of skills or education, but rather the labour market was so tight people had to take what they could get. Today, it’s a vastly different climate: falling birth rates, slowed immigration, record retirement, an exploding gig economy, and the workforce as we know it is hungry for talent.

The Job Climate: A Raincheck

In America alone, there are 11 million vacant positions and only 6.5 million people to fill them. We’re in the middle of a talent crisis. Employees have unprecedented leverage, and the Great Resignation as we know it is just beginning. <ul><li>When the pandemic first hit,  millions of employees learned how to operate in a remote world. </li><li>It introduced a cocktail of complexities; for one, many bosses weren’t especially supportive or skilled in leading remote teams. </li><li>This new work style propelled people to adjust their personal lives.</li></ul>

Wave 1: Change By Force(2020 Onwards)

As the office seems safe for return, employers across the country call their people back. To be clear, there are no outside forces mandating us back—leadership is. Not surprisingly, there’s a mixture of reactions. Over the next couple of months, we’ll see even more people quit because they simply don’t want to come back to the workplace. Their new home in the country is far more comfortable, they will avoid their lengthy commute, public toilets and also want to save money on gas.

Wave 2: Change By Choice(Mid 2022)

Employees have the upper hand as companies are desperate for talent; so employees can pressure their bosses to allow flexibility.Many companies are developing flexible systems and negotiable schedules for employees, including Wells Fargo, Ford, The Social Security Administration, and Microsoft.

The Present Reality

The third wave gradually happens. According to the <a href="https://www.census.gov/topics/population/migration/data.html">U.S. Census Bureau</a>, approximately 26.4 million people in the U.S. moved in 2021. We’ll see A-players putting their foot down to stay remote. Employers won’t have a choice but to let them work remotely if they want to keep them. But what happens to the rest of the office when the top dogs are allowed to work remotely? In short: animosity, disdain, and envy. Finally, frustration will boil over, and people will find flexible jobs.

Wave 3: Picking Favourites(Mid 2022 Onwards)

In reality, many companies are still tying the carrot-and-stick methodology instead of investing in solid cultures employees want to join. Instead, they try luring top talent by waving bonuses and extra cash. Those who forget to improve culture and workplace experience will see high turnover rates in the next 8-12 months because they hire people who aren’t a good fit. Essentially, there are two options to curb this: either companies invest in long-term leadership solutions or wait to see what happens if they don’t.

Wave 4: Kicking the Can Down the Field (2023)

Workforce reconfiguration is not only overdue—but necessary for the workplace of the future. Imagine this: 100+ million people switching jobs working in an atmosphere lighting them up, coworkers they want to be around, and an environment encouraging their best work. This Great Resignation (Reconfiguration) will create better, happier teams, parents, and spouses with more energy and fulfillment and better work from coast to coast.

The Bottom Line

This work futurist predicts new waves of worker unrest are on the horizon—especially as some companies press a return to the office.

Why the Great Resignation is far from over

A lot of norms around quitting, from two weeks’ notice to exit interviews, have stayed intact in the pandemic. One big backdrop, though, cannot be ignored: More people are leaving without another job lined up, which makes transitions, and the conversation between employee and employer and everyone else, a little different, even awkward.If someone is quitting without another job, the manager should do some serious self-reflection on what role they have played in this employee leaving.

It’s not the Great Resignation; it’s the Great Awakening

<ul><li>The impression you leave when quitting your job is just as important as the one you make when you accept an offer.</li><li>Your reputation will always impact your career.</li><li>Don’t quit over email. Stick to an order of informing various affected parties. </li><li>This is also not a time to throw grenades over how dysfunctional everything is.</li></ul>

Employee: You will be judged by how you quit

<ul><li>If someone is leaving with no Plan B, this is a reckoning for you and requires some reflection. The big question to ask is ‘What could we have done to keep you?</li><li>When someone gives notice, it’s usually too late to change their mind. </li><li>Get as much feedback as possible:  Ask about the culture from their standpoint. Ask if they were doing the job they were hired to do, or something dramatically different. Ask them about perceived limitations for their growth. And ask them what the number-one thing that pulled them away was, so that you can do a better job retaining the employees that you have left.</li></ul>

Manager: You will be judged by how you react

<ul><li>Tell your manager.</li><li>With your manager’s guidance, tell your team.</li><li>Tell and thank senior leaders, peer groups, and others who have helped along the way.</li><li>Stay classy until the end. Before you log off, send out a final farewell email with your contact information to invite your colleagues to keep in touch with you. In many organizations, it’s frowned upon (and even illegal) to take contact information of clients or coworkers, but if you’re able to proactively share your information, it’s a great way to keep in touch.</li></ul>

Employee: There’s an order of operations to quitting

<ul><li>It can ease a lot of the final days of awkwardness if you are aligned not only on messaging but also on small details like whether vacation days or bonuses are paid out.</li><li>Do schedule an exit interview with departing talent, preferably with human resources.</li></ul>

The logistics of leaving

“It’s not the Great Resignation; it’s the Great Awakening.” That’s the characterization of the current workplace exodus from Mita Mallick, head of inclusion, equity, and&hellip;

The New Rules of Quitting

Employees who want to join the Great Resignation may underestimate the switching cost and overestimate the potential satisfaction of a new job. Instead, they should seek opportunities to job craft.  Job crafting is proactively customising tasks and relationships to create a fulfilling job. Job crafting takes self-awareness, awareness of others, and a willingness to stimulate change.

Job crafting instead of job hopping

If you're feeling stifled at work and unable to operate in ways that you know are more efficient or productive, it may be time to increase your structural resources. For example, make the decision to modify the tasks that seem unnecessary. Then, when you've made the change, document the rationale, experiment, evaluate, and iterate. Such changes can allow you to engage in more fulfilling, autonomous activities while helping to improve the organisation.

Increasing structural resources

If you feel like you're not getting new, thought-provoking feedback, advice, or mentorship, it might be time to pursue another form of job crafting, namely increasing social resources. Social resources aren't always a given. So look outside your team, department, division, or company, to find the social resources to help you grow and develop.

Increasing social resources

Increase your challenging demands if you feel bored or uninterested in your work assignments. Spend a small percentage of your time on challenging assignments that help you develop your skillset and stay relevant. It’s your job to be the best employee you can be and often requires you to create these opportunities yourself. Another option is to sit in on projects you find exciting but aren’t formally part of your responsibilities. Most of the time, you will be asked to participate.

Increasing challenging demands

Job crafting can also mean decreasing stressful tasks or relationships. <ul><li>Start by keeping track of your work activities for a few weeks. For each task and relationship, evaluate the degree to which it is energy-depleting.</li><li>Have conversations with colleagues or managers about re-negotiating your tasks or roles.</li></ul>

Decreasing hindrance demands

Job crafting can fix a person-job misfit, but it can't fix systemic issues such as misalignment with organizational values. Job crafting might not always be well-received. It could force colleagues to change when they don't want to change. Job crafters could be seen as low performers because they spend time on unassigned responsibilities.

Limitations of job crafting

Here is another type of worker benefit that gained speed due to the shift to remote work.


Job hopping shouldn’t be your first instinct. Try ‘job crafting’ instead

Metacognition is defined as "thinking about thinking" or "knowing about knowing." It is the process of knowing and understanding one's own thoughts, feelings, and memories. When you are aware of your thoughts, feelings, and knowledge while they are happening, you can bring those thoughts under control.

Metacognition: Knowing yourself

Edward de Bono rightly states that “Only the human brain can deliberately change perceptions, change patterns, invent concepts and tolerate ambiguity.” Learning about yourself is vital. You know what makes you happy or sad and what motivates you. Self-awareness is about understanding what is happening in your head and how to improve your ability to think about your thinking.

A metacognitive mind is a superpower

Like any skill, you can improve how you think to make better and more rational decisions. The first step to improve your metacognition is to realise what you know you know and what you know you don't know. That knowledge can reveal what you need to improve. Then you can get educated on topics like mindfulness and self-awareness to improve.

Metacognition is a skill

<ul><li>You learn more quickly because you can identify the steps you need to complete a task.</li><li>If one approach does not work for you, you can adjust your learning strategies.</li><li>You can practice self-discipline by reflecting on your habits and practices and changing them.</li><li>You can be aware in the moment of what you're doing and how it affects your mental state.</li></ul>

How metacognition can improve your life

‘’Metacognition’’ is often defined as “thinking about thinking” or “knowing about knowing.” Or better still, the thoughts people have about their own thought processes. It’s a vital life skill that…

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Quitter's remorse: The workers who regret resigning

Why the Great Resignation is far from over

It's time to

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The New Rules of Quitting

Job hopping shouldn’t be your first instinct. Try ‘job crafting’ instead

How to Use Metacognition Skills to Become More Self-Aware

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

#greatresignation

IDEAS ABOUT #greatresignation

Quitter's remorse: The workers who regret resigning

Why the Great Resignation is far from over

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

The New Rules of Quitting

Job hopping shouldn’t be your first instinct. Try ‘job crafting’ instead

How to Use Metacognition Skills to Become More Self-Aware

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career