Legal, Government Affairs, and Incorporating Services
What’s Your Next Pivot? Four ways the pandemic spurred big picture thinking BY KELLY A. BOWERS
THE ERA OF the Great Resignation is fast approaching its oneyear anniversary as it was in April 2021 that an astonishing 4.5 million Americans decided to collectively put in their two-week notices. Even by the summer of last year, many pundits and workforce economists were predicting a new normal outlook for employees. By the end of the year, it was reported that almost 70 million people left their jobs in the U.S., and twothirds of these resignations were initiated by the employees themselves. In light of this newfound leverage, in what other ways has the pandemic changed the dynamics of our career pursuits? To dig in, here are four ways the pandemic spurred big-picture thinking among employees.
mary concern. A great deal of U.S. workers began acting upon it, ready to renegotiate their circumstances with employers who became increasingly concerned with departures.
Bargaining Power In quick fashion, employees began recognizing their newfound bargaining power. Those who didn’t immediately head for the exits started negotiating for better terms, including salary, benefits, rewards, time off, and hybrid schedules. Employers responded in kind, conceding to terms that would have been unthinkable before the pandemic.
Gaining the Upper Hand
Self-Reflection
It wasn’t that long ago that employers seemingly held all of the cards in the high-stakes poker game of employer-employee relations. At times in the past decade, the job market was exceedingly tight, leaving many to feel thankful just for having a full-time job. Then came the pandemic, which brought lockdowns, remote work, and hybrid collaboration arrangements. Productivity didn’t suffer—in fact, it rose quite notably. And this left employees with an upper hand—the leverage in knowing that their value to the company was suddenly a pri-
As employees gained the upper hand in determining their future, they put this time of self-reflection to good use. Millions of employees took stock in their situation and circumstances and initiated an inward search for more fulfillment. For many of these people, this meant reordering their lives to achieve more happiness. As the Great Resignation rate remained steady throughout the latter half of 2021, it was increasingly clear for many that it was time to chase their dreams and pursue what really mattered. This led directly to…
46
May / Jun e 2022
| DELAWARE BUSINESS
