The Great Resignation. The Great Reshuffle. The Great Return. The Great Rethink. Whatever “Re” cliché you call it, employees worldwide continue to quit in record numbers.
Though, for many pandemic-era job leavers, their resignation was anything but great. More than 2 out of 5 feel they were better off at their old job, and 1 in 5 have already boomeranged back!
This comes from a UKG survey across six countries comparing responses of 1,950 employees who quit their jobs since March 2020, with 1,850 people managers who had people on their team resign. Research shows:
- 43% of job quitters admit they were better off at their old job.
- Of those not fully satisfied in their new role, 62% agree, “The job I quit was better than my job now.”
- 41% of people feel they quit their job too quickly.
- People managers only correctly named 3 of the top 6 reasons why employees actually quit.
- Fewer than half of job leavers left for a pay raise.
- Nearly 1 in 5 people have already boomeranged back to the job they quit.
- Strong people managers — those who build trust, foster open communication, and conduct stay interviews — are the key to both retention and boomerangs.
- Yet, 2 in 5 people managers are thinking of quitting themselves — including 53% of managers in the U.S. and the U.K.
Download the full research report for global insights into keeping employees from quitting in the first place — and for ideas on how to rehire top performers who left.