Tim Hebert
Management Services Committee Member
A&W Electric, Inc.

Much has been written and said about the great resignation of 2020. In summary, people are quitting their jobs in record numbers! But why? While we often see this in very strong economies, what we have experienced in the past couple of years has been anything but! The cause of this great resignation tells us a lot about the mindset of our current employees. It also tells us a lot about the future of employment.

In summary, the pandemic of 2020/2021 has created a great pause in people’s lives. Not so different from the Great Depression, World War II, Vietnam, or Sept 11, 2001. Tragic events often cause people to stop and reset ... their thinking, their lives, their priorities.

A very common refrain employers are hearing from people is, “While I know I need to work, I now realize that I want work to maintain a very specific place in my life, not to dominate my life.” Therefore, many people are reprioritizing their work lives to create more free time, reduce commute time and make overall changes in their work lives.

While we normally think of turnover as more of an issue with younger employees, the great resignation is being driven by mid-career changers between 30-45 years old. Unfortunately for employers, these are folks who are among the major contributors to their companies because of experience and time in role. Many are reporting the pandemic has given them time to rethink priorities and now is the time to make a change!

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