The Covid-19 pandemic changed everything for all of us. Without warning or preparation, we were thrust into chaos—forced to relinquish our norms and involuntarily take on roles for which we weren’t equipped. (Kindergarten teacher, anyone?) But we adapted. Sort of. We grew accustomed to the lack of certain things: reliable schedules, long commutes, stocked grocery store shelves. So many things.
Of all the facets of life impacted by Covid-19, work has been the most interesting to watch. As an equity and inclusion strategist, I pay close attention to workplace culture generally, leadership choices and behaviors that impact culture specifically, and how the evolution of both either enable or disable equal access to opportunity. Leading consultancies have been readying us for the “future of work” for well over a decade. Somehow, many leaders convinced themselves this pending sea change would stay in the future. They were wrong. The future is now, and it has carried us into that sea like a river.
When throngs of employees began leaving the workforce in what many now call “The Great Resignation,” leaders were perplexed. Why is it so hard to keep talent? Wouldn’t one seek more job stability in a pandemic that made everything else so…fragile? Turns out the answer is yes, except, for marginalized talent, stability has been redefined.
According to hundreds of LinkedIn users in a recent poll about The Great Resignation, many of these departures are more about escape than pursuit. When asked to choose one of three primary reasons they left a job in the last twelve months, 64% of respondents chose peace, defined as less trauma or stress. Ten percent chose harmony, defined as alignment or flexibility, and 26% chose greater opportunity, or better options. In addition to these, chosen by almost eight hundred people and counting, the comments section blew up with another resignation driver: not being valued appropriately—both in compensation and with appreciation for going above and beyond.
These answers did not surprise me. They are almost identical to what we learned in our 2021 proprietary Waymakers narrative inquiry study conducted in partnership with Brandtrust, a research and strategy firm that utilizes social and behavioral sciences to solve complex business challenges. We asked hundreds of employees to share stories of work experiences in which they felt seen, respected, valued, or protected, as well as stories in which they felt invisible, disrespected, underappreciated, or scrutinized. We then scanned the stories for patterns, which revealed extraordinarily clear findings.
One of the most pronounced was that disrespect, described as anything from being scapegoated to having to provide additional evidence of one’s competence, is most likely to irreversibly damage the employee-employer relationship. It creates the most intense emotional response and is often seen as intentional. Since respect is tied to trust and, by extension, loyalty, moments of disrespect can cause a fracture that becomes a break.
Experiencing disrespect at work was reported most reliably by Black and brown employees, as was feeling underappreciated (or undervalued). This is important because our research showed that feeling valued at work is most closely linked to one’s intent to stay. Beyond disrespect and a lack of value or appreciation, many Black and brown respondents also reported feeling scrutinized, or “nitpicked,” which they said eats away at their confidence and can cause them to retreat or contribute the “bare minimum.” They described it as “flying under the radar” to avoid undue criticism or harm. Unfortunately, hiding from harm sometimes renders us invisible to opportunity too.
When faced with these experiences and emotions—disrespect, a lack of appreciation, and scrutiny—is it any surprise that marginalized employees are ending their relationships with companies? It shouldn’t be. Any relationship in which one partner feels chronically disrespected, underappreciated, and scrutinized is destined to fail. These are some of the same factors that end marriages every day.
This growing dissatisfaction with today’s workplace has not gone unnoticed by the tech world. Startups are steadily creating platforms to address the fragile relationship between employers and employees of color. All Voices is an app that allows for anonymous reporting of toxicity in workplaces. Kanarys helps companies detect potential culture issues early through employee inquiry, which creates opportunities to proactively solve for emerging issues. And in December of 2021, JobSage, an employer review site that brings transparency to what matters to jobseekers, launched to elevate the voices of those who know their workplace best: current employees. (Two of the three companies were started by founders of color.)
Clearly, there is a disconnect between the claims companies make about their cultures and what employees are experiencing. There are far too many promises made and not kept—well-intentioned policies that fall apart in the hands of leaders who are ill-equipped to lead across boundaries.
Bottom line: marginalized employees who are unceremoniously exiting companies are not chasing the “pay, perks, and promotions” that once ruled the professional world. They are, in some cases, risking everything to free themselves of stress, scrutiny, and stagnancy. And the rise in transparency means they now know they are not alone.
There are four reasons why historically denied employees are leaving dry land for greener pastures. They include 1. Options (better pay or growth potential elsewhere), 2. Harmony (greater alignment and flexibility), 3. Peace (less trauma and stress), and/or 4. Overworked and undervalued.
- Options
Since many companies are desperate for talent while simultaneously ramping up their diversity efforts, there are certainly more career options available to marginalized employees. When I say options, I don’t just mean more places to work. I also mean more ways to work. Whether it’s the chance to go fully remote, change industries, or start their own businesses, people are taking risks and trusting themselves to rise to the occasion. And since “safety” is something we no longer reasonably expect, these risks feel less scary than they used to.
- Harmony
Employees want the freedom to make choices that work with their personal and professional priorities and to moderate on the fly. Flexibility and the potential to live a life in alignment with one’s values has long been preferred by employees. Driven by emerging generations, we now work in a paradigm where employees are the discerning customers of employer brands. Where we once followed rules, we now seek to co-create them. This is the era of cultivation and collaboration, not command and control.
Environments that fail to embrace this shift are losing talented people who insist on living a sustainable life. Insert a pandemic where parents are teachers and home and work blend into one long day, and harmony becomes not only a preference but a wellness requirement.
- Peace
Workplaces can be traumatic for people who are isolated or otherwise disadvantaged. Many feel the need to alter how they speak, look, or engage to succeed. In an experience survey I conducted last year, more than 85% of Black respondents reported feeling tired at the end of the day because they were often on guard or bracing for offense. Working from home gave people the time and space to experience the stark difference between being in office and being at home. At home, there are fewer microaggressions, less isolation, less pretending. A literal safe space to be more authentically themselves. Workplaces have long been toxic for outliers, but we have finally grown tired of sacrificing ourselves for them.
- Overworked and Undervalued
All people have four basic needs at work: to be seen, respected, valued, and protected. As previously mentioned, being valued—in pay, opportunity, or appreciation commensurate with contribution—is most closely related to intent to stay. Many have long felt underpaid and underappreciated. Because of remote work, we now have less visibility to each other, which requires leaders to be more intentional about how they show appreciation. Some employees feel “out of sight, out of mind,” or lost in the margins.
Additionally, as companies decreased their workforces, many are being asked to do more and work more hours. When we combine feeling overworked with feeling undervalued, it’s a recipe for disaster.
As I was writing this article, I received a call from a Black executive who is looking to leave her company. Highly accomplished, she had been heavily pursued by her current employer. Once they “landed” her, she experienced a series of disappointments, including a budget cut and a simultaneous increase in responsibility. She also has no team, although she was promised one when she took the job. After less than a year in her position, she is looking for an out.
This is a prime example of a growing unwillingness to be used and abused at work. In a nutshell, the force behind the Great Resignation for marginalized employees is exhaustion—with toxicity. Abuse. And a complete lack of regard for their hard work.
Want to avoid losing diverse talent? See them by crediting them for their hard work and including them in important decisions. Respect them by leveraging their expertise and implementing their ideas. Value them with pay, opportunity to learn and grow, and appreciation. And protect them – from toxic people and situations and from professional risk. If it sounds simple, that’s because it is. Leading well across boundaries is complicated by our tendency to trust and surround ourselves with people like us, our bias for speed and familiarity, and our own battles with increasing business pressure.
The only way to turn this around—to stop pushing people away and draw them in instead—is to pause. Connect. Listen. Learn. And you guessed it: Lead.
Tara Jaye Frank is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategist and author.