Last August we published a post about The Great Resignation of 2021: a phenomenon wherein a record number of employees quit their jobs as COVID-19 restrictions began to lift.  Read our full blog here.

Who could have predicted what would happen next? 

Well, new research has shown that about 20% of workers who changed jobs during the pandemic regret their decision. That’s about 1/5 people, as reported by USA Today.  It seems that the Great Resignation has now given way to The Great Regret! 

There are a variety of reasons why workers are feeling this way: the new job duties are overwhelming, they don’t feel the work culture fits them, or the new job or company is not as advertised. When employees were resigning in droves in 2021, those who remained began to believe that the grass was greener on the other side. They idealized new positions as “dream jobs”, only to get a reality check after they’d been hired and started working. The Majority of Millennial Gen Z workers who were polled said they would leave their new job within 6 months, regardless of how the short-term position would look on their resume.

Employers, for their part, are also feeling regret. As their staff shrunk during The Great Resignation, they rushed the recruitment process, hired new employees too hastily, and in some cases knowingly hired candidates without the right qualifications out of desperation. As a result, employers are now finding that their new staff are inexperienced and it’s leading to unfulfilled job duties and gaps in productivity. They’re faced with a learning curve among staff that they were not prepared to address.

So, how can employers avoid hiring the wrong candidates?

  1. Don’t oversell: It’s important to be honest with candidates, and not to oversell a position or make promises around job duties, working conditions, compensation, etc. that you are not prepared to keep. 
  2. Meet face-to-face: It’s hard for the candidate to get a sense of company culture over a Zoom meeting. Invite job candidates to meet with you in person at least once during the interview process. Not only will this allow the candidate to get a feel for your organization, but it will give you an opportunity to assess how the candidate communicates in person and whether their body language aligns with what they are saying.
  3. Be patient: Do not rush the recruitment process. You should interview candidates at least twice and have them meet with other key stakeholders in your company, in order to assess whether they’re the right fit. How (and how quickly) they respond to you between interviews and whether their conduct or attitude changes from one interview will uncover red flags and provide valuable intel to inform your decision as to whether you should hire them. Plus, if your recruitment process involves several successive interviews, candidates who aren’t really interested in the job will likely drop off before they get to the end, thus saving you from a bad hire. 
  4. Be honest with yourself: If you don’t have the time and resources to train a less experienced candidate, do not hire them. Be honest with yourself about what you’re prepared to offer and what you’re prepared to accept, otherwise you’re likely to regret your hiring decisions later.