Did you know that company leadership is leaving companies just as fast as non-supervisory staff?
VOX posted an article titled “Even Bosses Are Joining the Great Resignation,” written by Senior Data Reporter, Rani Molla. The article shares good insight on managerial leadership’s “Great Resignation” impact on their companies.
Of note, the author writes:
“A lot of managers get put into management, not because they’re great people managers but because they’re great technical contributors,” Humu cofounder Jessie Wisdom said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you have the skills to manage emotions through difficult times and unprecedented levels of burnout and helping your team balance things that they’ve never had to balance.”
https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/7/7/23186233/managers-great-resignation-quit-job
She added,
“People are going through hard times and, as a manager, you have to help them through that…”
https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/7/7/23186233/managers-great-resignation-quit-job
Understanding a few of the reasons departures are happening can help companies tailor their responses to prevent it.
For example,
• promote employees into managerial positions not only because they have technical competency, but because they have great leadership skills and/or potential.
• Just like with your employees, be flexible in your managerial staff’s work environment (where possible).
• Consider clearly outlining career advancement paths for all tiers or levels within your company.
Mr. Brian O’Connell, author of Boss Loss: The Great Resignation Is Spilling Over into Management (published at the Society of Human Resource Management, https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/people-managers/pages/great-resignation-and-managers-.aspx) shared the following tips for helping management overcome burnout:
- Managers should engage with company executives directly. This enables the company to craft strategies to overcome workplace challenges, and also provides managers support – so they feel they are being heard and [hopefully] appreciated at the highest levels.
- Ask for direct workplace assistance. By identifying gaps and asking for resources, managers and executives can explore challenges, reprioritize their objectives and allocate resources to reach their objective. Often times accommodations can be made to ensure the manager and the company achieve their goals without the manager seeking employment elsewhere.
Darren Menabney, author of Fight The Great Resignation By Reskilling Managers (published at Forbes.com, https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenmenabney/2021/12/30/fight-the-great-resignation-by-reskilling-managers/?sh=6cb8ef916ffb) shared the following two low cost approaches to help your management team lead more effectively in a telework (remote) environment. This is especially useful in industries where remote work is an option:
- Run Remote Work Training Simulations. What are the necessary skills managers ought to exhibit while overseeing their staff? Mr. Menabney suggests identifying skill gaps within your managerial staff by running mock online meetings with established goals to help identify skills gaps. Once the skills gaps are identified, provide the necessary training/coaching to enhance your manager’s ability to lead throughout this hybrid/virtual environment.
- Reskill Managers By Helping Them Challenge Their Assumptions. Mr. Menabney adds examples in which managers were challenged to think about pre-pandemic assumptions (how to achieve a desired result) and how to achieve the desired result during the pandemic/fully remote environment (where applicable).
What have you noticed from your vantage point; have you noticed an influx of managers/supervisors joining the Great Resignation?
If so, what do you think are other aspects affecting managerial/supervisor’s decision to do so? Comment below ⬇️
I’d love to continue the dialog and learn a bit more on the topic.