Everyone in a leadership position has been spending a lot of time in the last year hearing about the “Great Resignation.” Perhaps it’s just me, but most of the context around it is either defensiveness or acceptance. Here’s what I mean:

Defensiveness: “Watch out for the Great Resignation. It’s going to get you! Here are the 37 steps that you should take to prevent the Great Resignation from hollowing out your team!”

Acceptance: “Suzy just resigned. Oh well, I guess I can blame the Great Resignation. It was bound to happen. She’s not the first. She won’t be the last…” (It helps if you read this one in the voice of Eeyore.)

Let me first state that this is very real, and I’m not immune. While I think we’ve done a tremendous job of attracting and retaining talent, we do have some regrettable turnover, and it stabs like a knife every time. With that said, I’d like to turn this whole concept over on its head.

I’ve come to think about the Great Resignation as an opportunity, and perhaps even an advantage. I’ll use this article to explain.

A time of reflection

The Great Resignation is driven by an internal examination. “Do I like my job?” “Do I like my boss?” “Do I like my company?” “Is my work meaningful?” “Am I making time for the most important things in my life?”

I’m the type of person who asks myself these sorts of questions every day. But apparently, not everyone is like me. Most have been trudging along, and it took a pandemic and a Great Resignation for them to finally ask themselves these important questions. For that, I am grateful. Only good will come from this reflection.

Recruiting talent

I’m a tech leader. But many days, I feel like a talent scout. I’m constantly on the lookout for bright, talented, and passionate people to join my team. Over the years, I’ve had to deal with a few slight disadvantages. #1: CHS wasn’t a household name. #2: Many didn’t want to commute daily to our office in the southeast twin cities metro.

Employment branding

For the past 6 years, every week, I’ve been building the brand equity of CHS as an awesome place to work through my activity on LinkedIn. While prospective employees may not see our company brand on many billboards, they’ve gotten to know the type of leadership culture we have through my blog and podcast.

Besides that, I think the Great Resignation has lessened the importance of working for a company with a household name. It turns out that many companies with household names have toxic cultures. They may have a memorable name, but it’s no fun to work there.

Flexibility

I’ve made it my hobby to study workplace flexibility. I closely follow any time a major company announces their “return to office” or “hybrid work” plans. I just find it all fascinating.

I by no means have figured this out and I think we are far from getting this fully settled. But I can often offer prospective employees more flexibility than their current gig, and that’s an advantage I will take to bring top talent onto my team.

Hey, I’m talking to you

Great Resignation? It would be great if you resigned from your current company and came to work at CHS. Come on over!

Every time we post a new job, I think to myself, “There’s someone out there toiling away in a meaningless job just waiting to be inspired.”

If that’s you, you don’t have to wait any longer. The Great Resignation is here. It’s totally cool to resign now. Everyone is doing it! We’re absolutely thrilled to have you join us.

So, there you have it. Is the Great Resignation good or bad for leaders? For me, it stings when it’s bad, but I assess it as a net positive for my team. How about you?

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