Much has been written about the Great Resignation – but now new research has laid bare the extent of employee restlessness linked to the pandemic.
Google search data between 2019 and 2021 revealed a seismic shift in people looking at hybrid working, 4 day working week and flexible working as flexibility became the norm.
Hybrid working searches increased by 63,355 per cent from 2019 to 2021, while 4 day working week went up 51 per cent and flexible working by 50 per cent – indicating that it’s both a new concept and that it’s unlikely the UK workforce wants to give up the new found flexibility and autonomy that many experienced when working from home.
Warning signs that some were planning to quit their job can be seen through rises in searches for ‘how to write a resignation letter’, which jumped by nearly a third (32.64 per cent) between 2019 and 2021, while searches for ‘do I have to work my notice period?’ rose by 16.71 per cent. There was a 10.5 per cent increase in people exploring a career change too.
The data, collated by employee engagement consultants scarlettabbott, also shows that the appetite for hybrid and flexible working and a better work-life balance surged during this period.
Commenting on the findings, Lindsay Kohler, lead behavioural scientist at scarlettabbott, said:
“It’s fascinating that searches for hybrid working were essentially zero in 2019, had a slight uptick in 2020, but then exploded in 2021 – meaning that it’s a relatively new term and concept. But searches for ‘flexible working’ were already quite high in 2020, suggesting the idea of flexible schedules isn’t new, but where we physically work is.
“Behind this, I think is a desire for autonomy and flexibility, that many only found during the pandemic and this is only likely to grow. If employers mandate a return to the office or rigid schedule they may find it difficult to retain many of their team.
“People might not have realised how much more control they had over their day during the pandemic but now, with the juxtaposition of trying to go back to before, we’re feeling that loss of control more keenly than ever, and will fight to keep it.
“It’s important to remember this is still a very hot job seekers’ market. I think there’ll be quite a bit of movement for at least another year before things start to settle back down, and people have found the right balance of work and flexibility for their lives.”
She urged employers concerned about losing their top talent to build trust with their teams, promote autonomy and create a thriving alumni network that encourages people who leave to become brand ambassadors and share their insights.
For more information about this research, visit https://scarlettabbott.co.uk/topic/the-time-of-autonomy-as-research-highlights-the-extent-of-employee-restlessness-how-can-businesses-stem-the-tide-of-resignations.
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