Employment/Retention Paradox

Data indicate that the number of job applications is growing up to 4 times faster than the number of openings – not totally unexpected, given today’s economy – but retaining high-performing workers is getting more difficult. Employers need to remember key needs of employees: competitive pay, clear growth paths, and meaningful work, according to Workday. If those needs are not met, retention becomes problematic. Larger companies can possibly offer more internal mobility than can smaller employers, so the latter need to pay attention to the content of the positions they have for people. As the study cited above indicates, “Meaningful work is non-negotiable.” Failure to provide meaningful work or a clear career path is producing a decrease in overall engagement in 45% of industries. An additional piece of advice from the organization that conducted the survey is that employers “remove unnecessary workplace barriers that prevent good work, including ‘useless meetings, cumbersome processes, and limited autonomy.’”