Commentary: Why companies don’t seem to get what employees really want

This rapid change in the working context has also led to a major shift in employee expectations – and not all organisations are aware of how to respond or what to offer to make them stay.

In the past, if an employee wanted to quit or move, leaders would rely on improving perks, benefits, and compensation as the primary instrument for retaining employees. Except that those things are not the only things that employees want anymore.

If this type of organisational response continues, it’s unlikely The Great Resignation Wave will abate anytime soon. What then are the underlying reasons for this employer-employee disconnect?

GAP IN EXPECTATIONS AND THE SCIENCE OF LISTENING

In a large, complex, and now increasingly remote organisational setup, it is almost impossible to get into the granular details of an individual employee’s needs, wants, and aspirations.

This is because most setups use conventional feedback tools like annual surveys or an informal “DIY” approach to troubleshoot the issues.

The problem with this is authentic feedback can fall through the cracks. A good example is the typical exit interview most companies conduct.

Companies which don’t conduct regular employee surveys tend to rely on exit interviews to understand the reason behind the employee resignation. But exit interviews are rarely reliable due to two things.

First, employees tend to be biased as they likely have mixed feelings about their departure – they might not feel invested in the company’s future anymore or they’re not being honest so they don’t “burn bridges”.

Second, the data captured is only from a point in time, and fails to reflect the employee’s full experience, especially the crucial months leading up to the exit decision.

That is why the concept of “continuous listening” must be embedded within the organisation – that is actively gathering employee feedback at multiple points in their journey. And for leaving employees, helps to collect sentiment data before they resign.

This pattern recognition over time means companies can take meaningful action early to prevent voluntary resignation from other employees in the future.

But for this to happen, there must first be trust, without which no amount of talking will help – and this applies both ways.

If employees fear there may be negative repercussions (such as impacting appraisals or promotions) if they voice their dissatisfaction or opinion (for example, asking for a four-day work week), and conversely, if employees themselves are reluctant to be open, then honest expression is not going to happen.