The Not So Great Resignation | Leadership Series with Jim Robinson

Quotes:

“You’ve got to keep [your employees] engaged. They’re not going to leave if they find some loyalty and develop the loyalties.” (3:17) – Jim Robinson

“If you have a company that has the Great Quitters, then I can probably show you a company that doesn’t have a lot of time and effort spent on their employees.” (5:10) – Jim Robinson

“Care about people…spend time with them, help them get through their tough times. You’ve had tough times, I’ve had tough times, somebody was there for us.” (15:59) – Jim Robinson

The Not-So-Great Resignation

In the past year, roughly 33 million Americans have quit their jobs, but this phenomenon only shows one side of the story. In this episode, we interview Jim Robinson, President and CEO of CGP, to get his take on The Great Resignation, and you might be surprised by what he has to say!

Americans, along with the rest of the world, are well aware of the enormous obstacles the economy has faced recently. As a result, the increasing unrest Americans felt within their careers was brought to an all-time high. This may have been expedited by the pandemic, but, according to Jim, it was always going to happen. This Great Resignation, while accurate, also led to the Great Hiring Spree of the 2020s.

Jim is not just giving an optimistic approach. He points out that the same people quitting their jobs end up being the ones on the hunt for the opportunities offered within other careers and companies. This is an integral part of the equation. There is now an employee out there applying to be on YOUR team for every available job. This person could be your next VP or your next two-week notice. Knowing all of this begs the question, are you hiring the right people?

Jim lets us in on his company’s experiences, and despite the growing number of resigning Americans, he has only seen loyalty and growth. The difference between CGP and a struggling business all boils down to a detailed hiring process and healthy company culture.

Americans now have the choice to remove themselves from toxic work environments where they either feel unengaged or lack loyalties. CEOs, managers, and team leaders must create intentional relationships and develop the right programs to create engagement and loyalty.

Engaging employees can become difficult as your company grows, but it is critical to retention. The foundation starts with knowing and caring for each employee. If you do not have the capacity to do so, hire leaders who can. A multiplication structure of pouring time and energy into a few and then investing into the next is one fool-proof way to impact your business at large.

People can experience loyalty or lack thereof at the very first interactions with your team. It was said that trust is earned, but as an employer, you should flip the dynamic and extend trust first. Creating a space where the new employee is not proving themself can allow for their skills and consistency to thrive. Those who break that trust can then be evaluated as a good fit.

Do not let the Great Resignation incite fear in your company. You can choose this quarter to implement ways to retain your staff and follow through with a hiring process that works. Keep coming back to the podcast for a new installation in our leadership series with Jim Robinson every month. We know that there are unprecedented challenges this year in the FM world, so let us help you along the way.