Recently, the debate on the so-called 'mass resignation', a phenomenon of US origin also known as 'great resignation'1, has become prominent.
According to data developed by the Italian Association of Personnel Management (AIDP) it emerges that voluntary resignation among young people in Italy affects 60% of companies.
The research verified that the sectors most affected by this phenomenon in our country are: the IT and digital sector (32%), the production sector (28%), and the marketing sector (27%). According to the research data, the majority (i.e. 70% of the sample analysed) of workers who decide to resign are between 26 and 35 years old.
According to the note drawn up jointly by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and the Bank of Italy, resignations gradually increased during 2021, exceeding, in the second half of the year, the levels recorded in 2020. According to this research, there could be several reasons for this increase: 'on the one hand, employees may be less willing to work under the prevailing conditions, also to reduce the risk of contagion in a phase of progressive downsizing of the use of remote work. On the other hand, itis possible that, thanks to the recovery in demand for labour, an increasing number of employed people will leave their stable job for another one'.
Data collected by the National Labour Inspectorate show a worrying figure on the resignation of working parents, especially women, in the months of the pandemic.
In our country, therefore, resignations continue to increase, despite the fact that the Italian labour market is not very dynamic compared to that of other industrialised countries and changing jobs is anything but easy.
The studies conducted on the subject do not overlook the hypothesis that the pandemic has played a decisive role: the state of emergency into which the entire world has been plunged has had a strong impact on individuals and, consequently, on the social phenomena in which they are involved. According to Prof. Mariano Corso, professor at the Politecnico di Milano and scientific head of the Human Resources and Smart Working Observatory, "the pandemic has accelerated a trend that was already underway - because it has given us time to understand whether our job, our boss and our career prospects satisfy us. This moment of disconnection has created astronginternationalfocus on these issues".
The concept of 'corporate well-being' - understood as a fundamental part of work that affects productivity - today seems to take on a new significance. Employees pay a lot of attention to finding workplaces with a corporate culture that suits them, companies that are able to invest in their employees, and companies that are willing to invest in their employees.
1 In the US, as many as 4 million people resigned in July 2021. The phenomenon also increased in the following months, peaking in April 2021. Source: F. Contardi, "Great Resignation": not all resignations are good for business, Il Sole 24 Ore, 18 February 2022; which in turn cites data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
in talent and meritocracy, adopting more flexible ways of organising work and allowing for a better balance of life and work time.
Nowadays, the working realities most appreciated by workers seem to be those which - leaving aside the old schemes of performance at the desk - include in their company vision certain guidelines, such as: a) the 'free' achievement of the prescribed result; b) the achievement of the assigned objectives regardless of whether it takes place in the office; c) adequate remuneration.
In short, there is a need for greater flexibility, work enhancement and attention to the needs of the individual. According to Prof. Corso: "the more astute and visionary companies are working to create working conditions that are more in line with the expectations of new talents. For example, by providing a highly flexible organisation model and promoting smart working. In addition, more and more attention is being paid to staff care. With remote working comes the problem of how to be close to people, and it is therefore necessary to rethink leadership and welfare models'.
In line with this point of view, the research entitled 'Employerbrand research' carried out by the employment agency Randstad2 also seems to be in line with this view; on the basis of the results, it is possible to state that the priorities of workers are no longer only career and salary, but - as mentioned above - the 'worklifebalance', i.e. the balancing of work and private life times.
Italy has a large number of intenders, i.e. those who intend to change jobs in the next 6 months (21% of respondents) and this is starting to cause concern; mass resignations are a phenomenon that entails costs for companies, which are starting to wonder how to retain people and in particular talent.
The Randstad study shows that the most important factors in choosing an employer are: a) attractive pay and benefits; b) a good working environment; c) a good work-life balance; d) job security; e) flexible working arrangements; f) visibility of the career path; g) financial stability; h) good training.
In this regard, according to Almalaurea3 , it is fundamental to set up an effective talent acquisition strategy, which responds to the company's objectives in terms of personnel recruitment, but it is equally central to enhance and involve what already exists in the company: the employees hired. In fact, it is essential to think deeply about employeeretention, working to increase mutualengagement between employer and employee, i.e. a real harmony and alignment of interests between the employee and the company, which increases productivity and reduces turnover.
2 This is a study commissioned by Randstad that measures how much and by what factors companies are able to attract jobseekers or job changers. Conducted on more than 190,000 people in 34 countries around the world, with almost 6,500 companies analysed independently (none can voluntarily sign up to participate), the research measures the level of attractiveness of companies as employers as perceived by the public. This year, in Italy, 6,581 people aged between 18 and 65 were interviewed to investigate the determining factors in the choice of the ideal employer.
3 What tools do companies have against great resignation? | AlmaLaurea 2
In order to build an effective employee retention strategy it is important not to ignore the information that comes from employee behaviour and at the same time to intervene with some actions that aim to increase the well-being and motivation of an employee, as well as his bond with the company.
As pointed out by Almalaurea, some important measures to be taken could be: a) selecting candidates in line with the company culture; b) taking care of the working environment and making it comfortable; c) stimulating one's own employees also by providing training courses; d) providing periodical evaluations can be an excellent opportunity to create a fixed appointment with employees, useful to better clarify objectives and see together how to reach them.
Undoubtedly, the value system that guided work choices in the 1970s and 1980s has been replaced by a new model that, in a sense, puts a balance of interests first, and companies therefore find themselves having to face new challenges and implement new strategies, adapting to new organisational models.
