New trend: changing jobs instead of internal promotion
The “Great Resignation” originated in the USA, but is also gaining in importance here. More and more people are quitting their jobs to look for new opportunities and jobs that better fit their needs and expectations. According to a survey by StepStone, every fourth employee in Austria is open to a job change. A study by XING found that since the beginning of 2020, 23% of those in employment have already quit their jobs; a further 46% are thinking about doing so. This fluctuation further exacerbates the growing shortage of skilled workers. On top of that, there is a growing trend towards part-time work and the big retirement wave of the baby boomers is still to come.
So how can key staff be recruited and retained? Emloyer branding and employee retention are two crucial factors in this context to counteract the phenomena. Companies must find ways to be attractive to new key employees and to retain their staff in the long term. There are “nice-to-have” and absolute “must” strategies for this.
Why do so many professionals quit?
In order to develop viable solutions, it is first necessary to take a closer look at the problem. What are the most common reasons for high staff turnover?
- Poor remuneration
The desire for a higher salary is still an important reason for dismissal. Competitive remuneration and attractive fringe benefits form the basis for finding and retaining good employees. - Rigid working hours
Flexible and mobile working is an important aspect of job satisfaction for many people under 45: home office, flexible working hours or job sharing can help employees achieve a better work-life balance and identify more strongly with their employer. - Inhibiting working climate
A positive corporate culture, appreciation, supportive communication and good leadership are crucial aspects that decide who stays or goes. A corporate culture based on appreciation and recognition of performance and commitment plays just as important a role as open and honest communication. - Lack of meaning
Space for personal values has a great impact on job satisfaction as well as the opportunity for personal development and training. Employees value companies that encourage professional development and learning new skills.
What can be done against unwanted fluctuation?
Relationships in the work context:
On average, we spend 1/4 to 1/3 of our day in a professional context. This shows how important it is to take a closer look at the personality, values and needs of the employees. The different personalities in a company with individual affinities, preferences and social skills essentially determine the daily working environment and the relationships among each other and consequently the atmosphere in the job. In the end, they have a particularly large influence on the respective fluctuation in a company.
Relationships in the work context describe the way people interact and communicate with each other while working together on professional tasks. Harmonious relationships create an environment in which individuals can realise their potential and the team is more than its individual parts. Some important aspects of harmonious relationships in the work context are:
- Communication
An open and honest communication is crucial for building trust and solving problems and conflicts. But do we all communicate in the same way? Many conflicts arise because content is passed on in the “wrong” manner and in the “wrong” way. Said is not automatically heard and even less understood. - Teamwork
Collaboration and working together on projects foster a sense of belonging and also improve work performance. However, the constellation of the people acting in a team is decisive: A successful team is not only composed according to professional competences. Here, personal affinities and preferences of the team members are the decisive factor in whether the cooperation is successful and satisfying. - Resolving conflicts
Wherever people work together, conflicts are inevitable. What is important is which “conflict culture” is established and lived. Conflict potential should be recognised in good time and any conflicts that arise should be resolved constructively, with knowledge and also taking into account personal conflict resolution strategies. - Equal opportunities
A working environment that promotes equal opportunities and diversity enables all employees to realise their full potential and contribute their skills and talents. In order to create such an environment, it is important to specifically address the personality of the employees. Accordingly, the prerequisite is to know this personality and to look at it in a non-judgemental way.
Reduce fluctuation with personality analysis?
Personality assessments are relevant in HR to evaluate the suitability of candidates for specific roles and tasks within a company. However, common personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the DISC model or the BIG Five personality test fall short.
In order to reduce unwanted turnover, it is crucial to look at the cooperation, the relationships in working life. Knowing the values and affinities of individual employees definitely helps to set the right framework and incentives to keep that person. However, the focus to prevent turnover must be on the relationships of the individuals. Investments in appropriate structures promise both short and long-term success, especially since they create unique framework conditions in each company and team that are difficult to copy from the competition. A fruit basket and a 4-day week are then “nice-to-have” benefits that will hardly have any effect on staff turnover.
Some advantages of the relationship-oriented personality analysis with QUAZR:
- Better understanding of strengths and weaknesses
- Knowing what you can and cannot expect from a person
- Reduce miscasting
- Improve team cooperation qualitatively and quantitatively
- Sustainably increase employee satisfaction
- Retain employees and reduce staff turnover
- Identify leadership potential in existing staff and promote it in a targeted manner
