Era Z, Millennials are an enormous a part of the good resignation pattern – Kelowna Capital Information

While the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on for the past 16 months, Vanessa Staniforth experienced both burnout and professional stagnation at her job.

“I felt stuck,” said the 30-year-old software developer from Ottawa. “There weren’t many opportunities to get out of your day-to-day work to improve your skills. I had to commit to learning new skills outside of work in order to satisfy that desire and gain the confidence to even apply for other positions. “

Staniforth, who quit her job in April to start a career in a new industry, believes the pandemic has given many people an opportunity to reflect on their working lives.

“People ask, ‘Is this really the place I want to be? Is that the right direction for me? ‘”She said.

Their experience is part of a phenomenon known as Great Resignation, a wave of workers in Canada and the United States leaving their jobs, and younger Canadians are contributing to this trend.

According to a recent Canadian survey by global recruiter Robert Half, 33 percent of Generation Z and Millennial workers surveyed said they were looking to get a new job. The survey found that Gen Z mainly wants change so they can get higher salaries (40 percent), while millennials struggle with low morals (31 percent).

Staniforth’s former employer was in talks to eventually bring employees back to the office, either full-time or on a hybrid work model, but she preferred to work from home. She was also looking for a company that would maintain a good corporate culture for remote workers.

What Staniforth noticed about their new employer, in addition to a completely remote working environment, was that the company promotes diversity and inclusion, offers continuous training opportunities, celebrates and recognizes good work and promotes calmness among its employees.

The position also offered other perks, including a higher salary, flexible time off, limited storage units, a generous annual lifestyle allowance, and additional parental leave.

Yiorgos Boudouris, a freelance career coach and head of recruitment at Toronto-based software company Forma AI, said he was in constant conversation with young professionals worried about returning to their employers’ office.

“I think the pressure on people is growing because they are asking, ‘What will things be like for me and my role when life returns to some form of normal?'” Boudouris said.

With the advent of remote working, many people are now also quitting because they have the opportunity to work for companies they never thought possible, Boudouris added. As a result, employers are feeling the pressure to keep employees.

“Employers have to respond to the needs of employees. So I think that if you are currently employed and some things could be developing in your workplace, that adjustment factor could be greater as it will be really difficult to find replacements for all of the people who have thoughts about leaving. In this retention part, I think the employees have a lot of power, ”he said.

Boudouris advises young professionals to remind employers of the impact they have had and will continue to have on the company and to explain how certain incremental changes, such as the introduction of hybrid work options, flexible paid time off, flexible working hours and employee-centric budgets, that support learning and growth will make them even better in their role.

That said, it’s not always worth asking for a change when you’re ready to go.

“When you wake up in the morning, is there a certain excitement about starting your work? And when you close your laptop that night, do you think it was a good day, or do you think you have misplaced your time? ”Said Boudouris.

“If you answer these questions and it doesn’t seem like you are happy with what you did that day, then it probably tells you that you either work for this organization or do the kind of work that You’re doing is not what you should be spending your time on. “

Leah Golob, the Canadian press

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