The “Great Resignation” — How Should We Respond?

There has been quite a bit of discussion around the so-called “Great Resignation.” So much so, that it’s hard to get a sense of what is going on. Among the causes of unemployment are social concerns, fiscal inequality, political warfare, myths, job-hopping, scandals, and more. Honestly, it can all make your head spin. We will continue to study, research, and give more answers in the years to come about the effects of the Great Resignation or however you choose to describe the social upheaval. However, that will have to wait. What can we do now?

To help me understand these events, I have used a few steps that I hope you will find helpful. You might find these simple areas helpful, especially if you engage in conversations about various topics daily in the breakrooms, between shifts, or even just casually over coffee (or tea!).

Identify an OBJECTIVE HYPOTHESIS

We all have our own version of the truth when it comes to these events. I believe it is vitally important to begin by identifying your baseline hypothesis. You should at the very least form your own opinion. It may be helpful to do some research on Google. But, do yourself a favor and collect some information, create an idea, and have your thoughts to share first. Since this is recent news, the number of intellectual “experts” is wide and varied. Carrying your own opinion is at least one defense against the sniper-like coffee conversationalists who inject these entertaining events into the conversation. By no means will I tell you whether your idea is right or wrong. That’s the beauty of the views. They’re yours! Be proud of what you believe, and get ready to take the next step.

Discover the COUNTERARGUMENT to your opinion

There may have been a few who thought I would suggest finding others with similar opinions. Unfortunately, that only creates opinionated tribes of similarity. Sadly, that won’t help you sharpen or deepen your understanding of any situation. You can strengthen your perspective by listening to others’ perspectives and looking out for those who do not share your viewpoint. I find this to be the hardest thing to do, and I believe that others will relate with me here. Finding tribes who speak our language, walk our way, and enjoy our interests is essential to us. We have already learned that this is pretty normal for social species, so don’t be alarmed. We’re both fine. However, to handle these complex events, we must have the flexibility to branch out.

When I create friendships with those who do not always agree, it is easier for me to enjoy conversations from both sides. It has been enjoyable to build more credible arguments within those disagreements. This perspective may seem obvious to some. But it is not a common practice.

Start with RESEARCH, then do MORE.

We cannot halt research, and we should not limit ourselves to 10–30 minutes of Googling. We also don’t need to prepare a thesis paper around these topics. Keep listening, reading, and doing your due diligence to verify the facts. We arere bombarded with the “truth” of the situation from every newscaster, headline, newspaper clipping, radio commercial, and everything else we consume regularly. Going back and doing research is our responsibility if we make sense of it all.

One neat way to help is to visit Wikipedia and go to the bottom of the page to find out what sources they used. There are PLENTY of current events articles available on that page. If you follow their references, you won’t have to rack your brain to figure out the best keyword search to use. This technique will at least get you started. If you have a proven system that works for you, keep that going. The important thing is that we can get information from all sides of a topic, not just from what we want to hear.

A few of my OWN thoughts.

Without offering my hypothesis and thoughts, it would be remiss of me to conclude this post without putting them out there for others to see. I have realized and understood that the words used are very misleading. This movement is at its core a manifestation of the frustration of those in positions that are unable to leave because they cannot afford to do so. I have worked with moms who have multiple children, are single parents, and have responsibilities to provide food, transportation, and school supplies, on top of all the other responsibilities that come with living. This situation can be challenging. Despite their desire to expand their capacity, they cannot acquire new skills when they are forced to work every day.

I have worked with “white collar” positions that are similarly frustrated, and I know several people in that exact situation, and I have previously mentioned that. You’re in an epic battle between what you need to do to survive and what you need to do to excel, no matter what type of work you do. Too often, the latter loses to the former.

There will always be resignations and workers leaving their jobs, so a considerable spike doesn’t really capture the essence of the discussion. Based on the shifting economic landscape since COVID began, this movement is more about advancing different types of labor into other areas.

In addition, I believe that this movement is a message and a voice for all industries to begin to listen to crucial stakeholder perspectives and begin to consider what it means to work and provide. After reading a catchy headline about a mass teacher departure, I became even more interested in this topic. I believe that this is healthy for teachers and the education industry. Despite having some of the highest responsibilities in society, they often receive the lowest pay for their work.

Educators are educational entrepreneurs and, in some cases, are the juggernauts that hold society together. Most have accepted lower wages than necessary, which causes them to look elsewhere to cover the inevitable economic shortfall for all teachers. Even if the argument can be made that teachers get “summer off,” that does not make up for the difference in pay when it comes to their responsibility to impact our children’s lives and future leaders. I do raise an eyebrow when a childcare worker can leave their job, start their own daycare company, and outearn teachers in private schools who have been teaching for 30 years.

I am super excited about being the employee-turned-entrepreneur since I am all about creating more business owners in our community. I love that. But I also feel bad for the professionals who can’t make what they need to provide or survive because of the many external barriers we face.

So, on the one hand, I understand this movement from a stakeholder perspective. It calls for businesses and industries to reform the workplace to ensure that the environment makes sense in our economy today. On the other hand, I see this as a natural evolution of our labor force, with entry-level jobs becoming cannibalized as workers realize entry-level jobs cannot support their needs, especially with the rising cost of living.

I’m sure more information will come as this movement develops. However, I assure you that you should at least be aware of it and form your own opinion. As I examine things from a few angles, I am still developing my own stance on everything, and there is no way I can get every perspective because that would consume a lot of my time and mental space. Nevertheless, I hope to build an objective wall of reasoning that balances my opinions and observations and gain insights from experts in the field and other economists familiar with these events to help sharpen my understanding of this movement.