What’s driving turnover—and how comms pros can help stop the talent drain

It’s being called “The Great Resignation,” and while some may have a quibble with the dramatic title, there’s no doubt about what the data says. A lot of workers have already left or are thinking about leaving their jobs, and there are more job openings than there are workers to fill the roles.

Stephanie Sweet, vice president of PR and marketing communications for Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm, shared data her organization has collected on the current labor market on a recent call for Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Network.

At the top of the list, workers are looking for flexibility. The problem is that employers and would-be employees see the issue of flexibility very differently when considering the future of work.

Why the churn?

When looking at the numbers, 1 in 5 workers have left jobs or are in new jobs. “Workers have really reevaluated,” explains Sweet. “They found out a lot about their current companies. Can they work remotely? Do they have hybrid opportunities?”

And the trend is not slowing down with 1 in 3 workers saying they plan to look for a new role in 2021. “From an employer’s lens, that is a dangerous number,” Sweet says.

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