Your best employee knocks on your door and hands you their resignation letter. What’s your first move? Conventional wisdom says that bigger paychecks and better perks are the way to an employee’s heart. But six months later, you may hear another knock — and in they’ll walk, waving a similar letter.
How to Re-Engage a Dissatisfied Employee
Takeaways from a survey of 5,600 mid-career workers.
May 19, 2022
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Summary.
The author surveyed 5,600 workers from various industries from January 2019 to December 2021, finding that worker dissatisfaction not only starts as early as age 25 — it’s been here since before the pandemic started. This spells trouble for companies who hope the troubles are behind them and want to retain managers (whose average age is 44) and train future ones as well. Her advice for retaining mid-career managers and those preparing for the role? Aim for work-life alignment, not work-life balance. Find out what drives them as an individual — and reshape their jobs together. Engage them in the recruiting process. And connect their work to larger company strategy.
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New!
HBR Learning
HBR Learning
Developing Employees Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Developing Employees. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Support and challenge your direct reports to help them reach their potential.