Is the “Great Resignation” Really a Thing?
Most of us have heard about the supposed “Great Resignation” that really gained steam during the COVID-19 pandemic. But is it actually true? Are people really quitting the workforce? According to this article, not so much.
The data seem to show pretty strongly that what is happening is not about a great resignation, but a great migration — from one job to another job.
This idea makes so much sense to me.
I firmly believe that people actually need to work, and I don’t mean just for money. People need work to help them live meaningful lives. Sure, it would be great to sit on a beach for a week or two and have someone deliver margaritas on demand. But that is a vacation — that is not LIFE.
Almost everyone would bore with that lifestyle in no time flat. It simply isn’t sustainable. I believe firmly that people have an innate desire to contribute, to matter, to leave their mark upon the world. People want to use their talents and skills to making things better.
But there is often a mismatch between what people are doing to earn money and how they would like to be contributing to the world. And that is what this “great migration” is actually about. People are leaving jobs that aren’t allowing them to contribute in the manner that they would like. They are quitting bad bosses and companies and joining others they hope might be better. Many are re-imagining the role that work can play in their lives and how much space work should take up.
And this is a good thing. The more that people try to align their work with what they actually want to be doing, the better off they will be.
If you are someone looking to re-imagine what role work should have in your life and how to make work fun again, I help with that.
