As employee turnover has been over the charts during the pandemic, e4m spoke to industry experts about the reason behind such high attrition rates and how it can be addressed Amid the Covid pandemic, more than half the workforce experienced a burnout’, Forbes India reported quoting a recent survey. As the pandemic resulted in increased distress and uncertainty, several re-evaluated their career and began moving on from their respective industries, giving rise to what came to be referred to as the ‘great resignation’. There is no one definite reason behind this sharp employee turnover but there, for a larger part, is certainly a shared ground – dissatisfaction or not being content. Discontent on the grounds of honorarium may be one of the primary reasons for employees putting in their papers but it is not the only one. Nitin Mantri, Group CEO, AvianWE, says, “It’s not just remuneration that is causing this drastic movement. In all the discussions on talent at the ICCO Global Summit 2021, the top reasons cited for people leaving, especially during Covid, included stress due to excessive workload, lack of recognition and inequitable work-life balance. Workforces today will not lay low and tolerate sub-par working conditions. According to our 2021 Brands in Motion study, The Bravery Mandate, the pandemic fundamentally changed the relationship many employees have with their livelihoods, and many are opting not to return to jobs where they felt overworked, underpaid, or disrespected.”

However, one should not overlook the fact that high attrition rates can also result from the end of the organisation/ company. Manisha Chaudhary, Founder & Director at Value 360 Communications, points out, “Some industries characteristically face elevated attrition rates due to high talent requirements and abundant opportunities. For other sectors, the attrition rate is higher at junior levels as employees look for quick growth. However, such ‘organisation hopping’ can only lead to remuneration growth and not substantial career growth. It will not add considerably to their skill sets since that will require actually sticking to an organization, learning actively and continuously.” The inevitable disruption It is an undeniable fact that high turnover rates affect the workplace as well as the existing employees. Not only does it disrupt the entire firm’s dynamics but the ongoing campaigns for the brands witness various road bumps too. Udit Pathak, Director, Media Mantra, elaborates, “Once an employee has moved on from the organisation, it takes a considerable amount of time, 30-45 days on an average, to fill up the space and the gaps. Furthermore, it is natural that the newly-recruited resource or team would need time to adjust. Usually, it takes any new resource or team about a quarter to understand the DNA of the organization, the brand’s expectations and eventually pick up the pace for work.” Offering an opinion different to that of Pathak, Mukesh Kharbanda, Managing Director, Fuzion PR mentions that, according to him, what affects the workplace and employees is “not about turnover rates but about the culture of an organisation”. He elucidates, “Ours is a very small industry and it’s inevitable for everyone, including your employees, to see through your actions. Hence, addition or deletion of the workforce, if focussed towards the growth of the company and Individuals both, has no impact.” The raging issues In the last two years, employees across industries had to adjust to a hybrid working setup, almost overnight. This brought its own set of challenges. The line between personal and professional was blurred. Virtual team meetings lacked workplace camaraderie. Kharbanda adds, “For the first time, everyone realised the pros and cons of being with their loved ones 24x7. People reacted in diverse manners and hence the impact was very individualistic. If I have to pinpoint one single issue that everyone encountered, it would be realising the need of compassion in our professional lives too, and how it can make or break even a long-standing work relationship.” Paycuts, layoffs and the fear of job loss were two of the most unsettling experiences most employees had to face. But the support of peers and top management not only provided assurance but also courage during uncertain times. Reiterates Mantri, “During the deadly second wave, every single Avian WE employee was either directly or indirectly impacted. Several of our employees were down with coronavirus or taking care of infected family members. This had put tremendous pressure on our workforce. But we stepped up to support each other.” Speaking on the same, Kumar points out how “many companies also deducted the salaries and kept it on long despite their business bouncing back to earlier levels.” He goes on to say, “This gap would quickly create dissonance, which is often an irreversible dissonance. GCPR was mindful of this and ensured that this dissonance didn't find any feet at the organisation. We were probably the only PR firm in the country to have decided to pay back 100 per cent of the deducted salaries during the pandemic period of our team members who remained with us and didn't leave us.” Apt redressal If an agency wants to retain talent and expect them to be sincere and committed in 2022 and beyond, they must prioritise creating work environments that make the employees feel seen, heard, and recognised. Mantri elaborates, “During The Bravery Mandate survey, respondents rated employee wellbeing and personal needs (physical, mental, and financial) as the most important issue that organisations should consider. So organisations must make it their purpose to build cultures that have employee engagement, growth and welfare at their core. Before companies try to save the world, they must ensure their own organisation is in order. You can’t run a mental wellness campaign if your managers are sending emails at odd hours.” Kumar adds, “People-first and people-always policies need to be practiced by the company and its leadership. To what extent has the organisation and its leadership been able to touch the hearts of its teammates when they need them the most will drive the continuity and stability of the employees at any organisation. At Grey Cell PR, we have retained some of the best talents by building an open culture, providing excellent work-life balance, exciting growth opportunities, coupled with competitive remuneration. Companies allow employees to design their own flexi-time schedules; we have taken the concept further and have people create their Flexi-roles. This way, the people get to do what they are best at and explore uncharted domains with no threat of repercussions and more often than not, they find insane satisfaction when they achieve something out of the box.” According to Chaudhary, there must be a real investment in building an employee-centric value proposition to address high turnover. A strong focus on providing equitable working conditions, employee-first policies, a positive work environment, and a ground-level understanding of employee needs is critical to boosting retention. In addition, leaders must create a culture of flexibility in work and office policies. She elucidates with an example, “In the post-COVID era, some employees have found a flow in the work-from-home setup and would like to continue enjoying the flexibility of remote working. For these employees, companies must have relevant work-from-home policies. Ultimately, it boils down to having a constant ear on the ground and building people-focused policies that are relevant to the current times and also changing them according to evolving employee needs.” The years ahead With the world gradually inching back to normal, industries opening up and offices resuming operations in full force – it can safely be said that the way ahead looks brighter. But how seamless would it be for employees, who, over the last two years, adapted to a hybrid working model, to return to office? While the unanimous response has been that most employees are looking forward to resuming working from office, Pathak puts forth his views, “I believe in the saying that ‘change is the only constant’. The pandemic is here to stay for long and waves will come and go. Honestly, I am of the view that we cannot and should not restrict ourselves to just one pattern. It will in turn impact our growth. We will have to adapt to the ongoing situations so as to revive and grow.” Kumar concludes, “While it may be slightly difficult for some to adapt to working again from the office, people will eventually realise that they have always operated from offices, and it is a more productive way forward. The aberration of the last two years will definitely bring more flexibility (such as hybrid work modalities), and newer learnings and organisations will also offer different work schedule combinations. But no amount of remote work can replace the physicality of being in the office with real people. We, humans, tend to operate better in tandem.”