After decades of being told to be grateful for a steady paycheck, no matter how terrible the employer, the roles have reversed. More flexible work options, a newfound ease of applying to jobs across the country as easily as applying to jobs down the street, and low unemployment rates have put the employee in a position of power. The people have realized that they are their former rulers’ greatest asset, and they’re revolting.
The employer loyalty that kept the silent generation with the same employer for their entire career, even long after the scars of war and depression should have faded, is gone. Today, one-third of workers are planning to leave their job in the next year. The new normal is to change jobs four times before the age of 32.
Employers who want to attract and retain the top talent in the realm have to strive to become a destination workplace — where employees feel valued, challenged, engaged, and have all the benefits and perks (title, salary, flexibility, fun) that are cropping up elsewhere. And key to that mission is leadership. A great leader can make walls or break chains when it comes to company culture, either isolating themselves from their team members or innovating new ways to engage.
In the infographic below, we explore some of the trends in employee engagement today and ask leaders to question themselves, “Am I a mad king or a protector of the realm?”
