The Great Resignation continues. Now’s the time to consider what workers need most.

How employers can help ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

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Listen and learn In the news • Out of here. March saw 4.5 million US workers quit their jobs and 11.5 million positions open up—the highest numbers since December 2000, when the US Labor Department started tracking them. Overall, the number of jobs available is nearly twice the number of unemployed people. That means workers who still hold jobs—along with those who are seeking new ones—have better prospects than ever and fewer reasons to stay put. [FT] • Unhappy anniversary. As employers rethink workplace conventions, one stands out as especially vexed: the annual performance review. Study after study has revealed that yearly reviews show little, if anything, that’s useful about what workers excel (and struggle) at and what they like (and don’t like) to do—the very factors that determine whether they’re engaged at work or apt to leave. Worse, annual reviews reduce people to numerical ratings in a way that can make them question how much organizations value them. [WSJ] “Employee life is in no way comparable to serving in a combat zone. But the emotional reaction to returning from deployment does parallel what many workers are experiencing now.” On McKinsey.com • Tough times. After reading a McKinsey article proposing that many employers don’t know why their employees are leaving, a military veteran turned HR leader contacted one of the authors to offer a new perspective: “Employees don’t know why employees are leaving.” She likened the experience of adjusting to pandemic disruptions—working remotely, returning to work—to the experience of returning home from a military deployment: disorienting and disappointing because things aren’t the way they used to be. That’s a new feeling for many workers, she observed, so naturally, they’re having trouble. • Empathize and empower. For employers, the Great Resignation might seem like a business problem: How do we maintain an effective workforce? But it’s fundamentally a human problem that requires human solutions. People are grieving on multiple levels, and physical distancing and remote work have left them with fewer folks they can turn to. Acknowledging these difficulties is the first step toward helping people recover. Read on to understand what workers are feeling and how to best support them. — Edited by Josh Rosenfield    Help people cope Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback — we’d love to hear from you. Follow our thinking This email contains information about McKinsey’s research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe Copyright © 2022 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007