Are dream jobs still a thing or is the idea of work and what we need from it more nuanced than simply receiving a direct deposit from a recognizable brand like Google, Apple, Microsoft, etcetera? At this point of transition in my life, after working for two globally recognized brands, there are a few things that I, and millions of Americans across industries require as we continue looking for the next stop in our careers.
As of April 2024, the national attrition average across multiple industries was 3.6%. The number in itself is not necessarily cause for alarm as it is slightly lower than the two preceding years. However, when we hold a microscope over that 3.6%, we find not only the stats by industry, but also the reasons why people are leaving their jobs. How is it, in a time where inflation is out of control, companies are experiencing unprecedented layoffs and our country as a whole is bleeding money everywhere but on our own soil – people are making a conscious and purposeful choice to permanently abandon their posts? The answer actually boils down to a few factors that, while seemingly simple at first glance, are proving to be quite elusive for 3.6% of adults actively participating in the labor force. The determining factors, in no particular sequence or importance are Environment, Value Alignment and Culture. (As a note, these items reflect research amongst working adults across multiple industries, with respect that some companies or functions may or not be adaptable to the concepts discussed.)
For kicks and giggles, we’ll start with the element that is rapidly proving to be a leading factor in my current job search – Environment. For this discussion, environment refers to flexibility, work-life balance and working within your Zone of Genius. As a reformed (and let’s be honest, traumatized) retail sales manager with absolutely zero control over any portion of my schedule or way of working, this element will likely always strain and fight to the front of the line. When I was blessed with the opportunity to work traditional hours in what some would deem a ‘regular job’, I was astounded by the ripple effect it had on my life. To this very moment, knowing that from Monday through Friday, work begins at 9am, concludes somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00pm, and unless I personally decide a task or issue is serious or pressing, I don’t have to take it home with me or answer a call or email between those hours – is literally life-changing. I realized that not only was my job taking up my day during the required time, but it was also spilling into my life in other ways. Because I worked so many hours over my scheduled time, I was often fatigued and irritated during my off periods. It became increasingly difficult for me to plan even recreational activities because I simply wanted to lie down and rest. And not just physically. By the end of my time as a sales manager, I was mentally exhausted. This is not to say that switching to a steady, daytime schedule miraculously cured my burnout. With the newfound time came the responsibility of creating more structure and routine in my life, and I was not always the most disciplined in this area. Still, when I received notice that I would be laid off in 60 days, my only dealbreaker when I began my job search was work-life balance. I was not willing to relinquish the freedom and peace that I gained in the last two and half years.
Work-Life Balance is the overarching piece of the Environment puzzle because it directs how the other pieces fit together. Additionally, the Flexibility within the balance is also important. This is where the most divisive topic of the working world comes into play – office presence. In the four years since the entire world was forced to take a break from its normal schedule of events, remote and hybrid work arrangements have become more prevalent, and companies who recognize the need for those arrangements typically report higher employee satisfaction and retention. As our world evolves, and the needs of the average person ebb and flow, offering employees the opportunity to work at home completely or two to three days a week shows that a company is truly invested in and cares about the well-being of its most integral piece – the employees. Shaving an average of two hours off commute time, working while waiting in a doctor’s office or finishing a report while monitoring home repairs or additions can relieve a myriad of tensions in the life of an employee. The result is more time for sleep, family, exercise or recreation – all activities that, when engaged in regularly, have the ability to improve a person’s quality of life. An employee who is able to move intentionally throughout their life outside of or in tandem with work is an employee who comes to work or logs into Teams refreshed and more engaged.
And let’s not forget the notion that regular office presence is simply not necessary for certain functions or roles. From my personal experience, being one of the few US-based teammates, and the sole presence at the company’s headquarters, working in the office was more of a hinderance than an advantage. Whether in office or at home, my work was completed and, according to my mid-year and annual reviews – exemplary. Knowing that I was trusted to perform the tasks assigned to me efficiently no matter my location gave me a sense of autonomy that every human requires to function. As a team, we occasionally came together for sales kickoffs or planning sessions. Being in the office for those meetings, mingling with the talking heads from my screen was refreshing from time to time, but not a career-impacting need. For me personally, is potentially useful for networking, a need the company fulfilled with monthly events on the rooftop with drinks and appetizers. If I wanted to attend, I would plan for Thursday to be one of my three office days that week.
Depending on how you work, Work-Life Balance and Flexibility can occasionally maneuver their way into the final Environment factor – working in your Zone of Genius. This term, coined by psychologist and writer, Gay Hendricks in his 2021 book, The Genius Zone, refers to tasks that utilize your unique talents, passions, and strengths, and bring you a deep sense of joy and fulfillment. This does not mean that companies should allow employees to run amuck chasing their passion projects, but rather, it suggests that a variety of skill sets and interests can be present on any one working team. Engaged leadership will push their teams to take on tasks or projects that best suit their strengths and interests. Of course, this is not always possible due to staffing or project needs, but when the conditions are present, employees should be encouraged to do work that will showcase their abilities. In my role with Honeywell, I was forced to become very familiar with Microsoft Excel; and let’s just say that many YouTube tutorials and Excel for Dummies pages were viewed. However, when I was asked to perform needs analysis and create training content or programs to bridge gaps of productivity and consequently communicate those changes to the masses – I thrived. Taking a break from reporting and dashboards to exercise my creative muscle continuously revitalized me and made it easier to perform the more administrative or technical aspects of my job.
Value Alignment is a new contender in the game of workplace musical chairs. This is partially attributed to the growing changes American society as a whole has experienced in the last 10-20 years. More and more working professionals find that it is easier to fall in line with rules or ways of working if their personal beliefs or values match those of their prospective employer. It’s imperative that we distinguish a company’s purpose and mission from its values. A company’s mission is what they set out to do, the purpose is why they choose those objectives and the values are how they accomplish the proposed mission and purpose. Personal and company values are similar in that both can guide decision-making, but they divert in terms of how static or dynamic they can be. Personal values typically are uncovered and can change as a person walks through life. Company values can be clearly stated and mandated across the board.
Some company values that are popular among today’s workers are communication, integrity, innovation, transparency, accountability and sustainability. While I never considered myself an environmentalist, I found that my company’s continued dedication to sustainability struck a chord with me. As an elder millennial, I have seen quite a bit of change in our world since the mid-1980’s. Reading the monthly updates about how Honeywell was impacting the world around me in ways I would not have even imagined, ensuring that it remains safe, healthy and profitable for years to come was, at the risk of aging myself, pretty sweet.
On a more granular level, communication and transparency can be mighty impactors in an employee’s decision to stay or go. With waves of layoffs, leadership transition and structural changes, employees value a company’s ability to properly communicate what they are doing, why it’s happening and how it affects them as a small part of the ecosystem. After a series of layoffs and furloughs, I told my manager, “Hey, if you happen to hear or get a sense that these changes are going to have an adverse effect on this team or me personally, just let me know. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” If the quarterly town halls are singing let the good times roll while HR is prepping another round of layoffs, employees want to be aware of that contrast. Change management is a beast in itself, but companies who are able to clearly communicate the why behind their changes and how they impact the whole, the average employee can usually breathe a sigh of relief.
The final determining factor, Culture, is really an umbrella covering Environment and Value Alignment. Culture, in this instance, is characterized by items such as career development, diversity and inclusion presence and social/connection opportunities amongst employees and leadership. While working as a Development Coach for a fin-tech startup a few years back, a colleague and I discovered that the company’s stated value of promoting from within wasn’t necessarily executed in the area we supported. Team members lamented over the lack of career movement into management or other roles that better suited their skills and interests. They would be invited to interviews, not selected and then meet their new manager, typically an external hire. Often, in these scenarios, more tenured teammates were called on to acclimate these managers to the more intricate tasks of the role because they lacked the company knowledge required to execute. Meeting with these teammates weekly, our team was keenly aware of their abilities and interests beyond their entry-level roles, and sought to bridge the gap.
Our search uncovered that many of the teammates looking for promotions lacked either managerial experience or the basic leadership skills like coaching and development or communication. Our response was to form a career development program that helped build a proverbial manager ‘bench’ of sorts. The program paired high performers interested in leadership or other individual contributor roles with a successful manager or employee in their field of interest. Teammates had to be nominated by their managers and conduct an interview with our team and the panel of advisors in the roles of interest. In preparation, we helped them with their 30-60-90 plans or presentations on why they should be chosen, simultaneously giving them public speaking and communication experience. The program was four months long and incorporated job shadowing, peer-to-peer coaching, business acumen training and even interview prep and debrief. We found that while not everyone was promoted immediately, they were receiving more requests for second or third round interviews and offered other opportunities to develop and hone their skills in the interim. After I had moved on to a new role, a particularly difficult teammate I coached and helped through the program contacted me via LinkedIn saying, “I finally got promoted to Team Lead. You were right, I needed to work on my professionalism. It didn’t matter that I knew the answers if I was going to be a jerk when called on to assist.” I laughed out loud, but the sentiment was clear: having a culture that embraced career growth, personal and professional development and a cycle of open and honest feedback led to eventual career progression and retention of a valuable resource.
Is there a science to choosing a new company or role? For many workers today, most certainly. Like any experiment, it requires the perfect mixture of various elements to be successful. Some of the most important elements, however, rest solely on the shoulders of the company. As our world continues to expand, and human needs evolve, some companies must be willing to shed the ideals on which they were founded. Business is not the same because people are not the same. We have changed, we have learned, we have become more resourceful and creative and require more to remain engaged in any single activity. This includes the average 90,000 hours we’ll work in a lifetime. If you’re going to work that many hours, I would say it’s a good practice to at least ensure you doing it somewhere that offers you what matters most.
(Note: Attrition data mentioned was taken from the April 2024 US Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual news release)
B. Nicole Creates 