IT won’t be a shock to learn that there is unprecedented turmoil in the job markets. According to some recent studies, up to 40% of workers are seriously considering leaving their current jobs, even without jobs to go to. About half of all employees say they feel burned out after a year of lockdown, video calls and blurred work and social lives. One in three believe they have received unfair treatment at work. Stark figures that put post-Covid business recovery and growth at risk.

Behind these statistics lies a broken relationship between employers and employees. The exchange of value that makes employment work isn’t balanced and people are looking at alternatives that will give them what they need.

My own employer, change management consultancy United Minds, recently conducted global research on the way people feel about their employers, including here in Scotland. The report, called The Contribution Effect, identified four areas that have the greatest impact on delivering better experiences at work.

Pillar #1: Fairness

First is that employers must deliver on a fair deal. This goes beyond simply offering a competitive salary and benefits; “fairness” also covers job security, having trustworthy colleagues to work with and being set up to succeed with the right resources needed to do a good job.

Pillar #2: Value

Second is the need for people to feel they are making a meaningful contribution through their work. Obviously, this will take different forms for different people, but every job must feel worthwhile and people need to understand how their role contributes to the success of their organisation.

Pillar #3: Fun

The third key finding was surprising: people just want to have fun. Not fun in the organised fun, table tennis and Friday drinks sense, but a deeper form of fun: one that springs from working with people who are friends as well as colleagues. Where people are enjoying their work, they are much more likely to stick with their employer. The trick is not to try and engineer fun but create an environment where fun can happen – through thoughtful recruitment and work assignments.

Pillar #4: Flexibility

Finally, people want flexibility. Not just in being allowed to work from home, but also in having greater autonomy over where, when and how they work. This is a critical factor in what is driving the “great resignation” – people are not getting the level of flexibility they want from their current employer and are moving to organisations where they think they will achieve more freedom.

The Great Resignation is not inevitable, but unless organisations become much more intentional about how they shape their employment practices, it will be. Think about how your organisation is addressing these key factors today – if at all – and use them to thoughtfully reshape, evolve and elevate your employee experience.

Stephen Duncan is Executive Vice President of United Minds