To prevent the Great Resignation from continuing in 2022, companies are finding creative ways to keep employees from quitting their jobs.

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

In the age of quitting jobs, 5 ways to keep employees happy

Jan 14, 2022

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

By Simone Del Rosario (Business Correspondent), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

The year 2021 was a banner year for quitting jobs: More than 40 million Americans quit, most of them looking for higher pay and better working conditions. To prevent ‘The Great Resignation’ from continuing in 2022, companies are finding creative ways to keep the troops happy.

Here are some of the best ideas to increase staying power:

#5: Offer amazing childcare

Moms have been quitting in droves to take care of the little ones during the pandemic, but not at Patagonia. The outdoor clothing company has been providing subsidized on-site childcare for decades at headquarters, complete with a climbing wall and vegetable garden. The company will also bus school-aged kids back to work and send caretakers with parents on business trips. Policies like this have helped them retain new moms in record numbers.

#4: “Stay” interviews

We’ve all heard of exit interviews, right? But these one-on-one meetings are being held before employees get up and quit. They’re billed as a safe space to allow workers the chance to talk about what’s working at the company — and what isn’t.

#3: 4-day work week

Panasonic and Microsoft Japan have joined the growing list of companies to test the 4-day work week. While it might be too early to call it a tipping point, the results suggest shorter weeks are a boon to mental health while improving productivity. When Microsoft Japan did a test run in 2019, it found productivity jumped 40%.

#2: Set your own salary

At Argentinian company 10Pines, the staff regularly gets together to set policies, budgets and yes, staff salaries. In front of everyone, the employee (or mentor on their behalf) can put themselves up for a raise, which is then openly debated.

#1: Pay them to quit

Software company Trainual has a deal for new hires: $5,000 to quit after two weeks. The philosophy: If a new team member isn’t happy, now is the time to take the money and run. Since the program started, the company says no one has taken the quit bait. Trainual CEO Chris Ronzio said, “It’s a powerful thing for them to turn down the cash, opt in, and commit.”

Tags: Pandemic, Society at Large

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: 2021 WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR QUITTING JOBS. MORE THAN 40 MILLION AMERICANS QUIT, MOST OF THEM LOOKING FOR HIGHER PAY AND BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS. TO PREVENT THE GREAT RESIGNATION FROM CONTINUING IN 2022, EMPLOYERS ARE FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO KEEP THE TROOPS HAPPY AND WE’VE GOT THE BEST OF THEM IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

AT NUMBER FIVE, OFFER REALLY AMAZING CHILDCARE. MOMS ESPECIALLY HAVE BEEN QUITTING IN DROVES TO TAKE CARE OF THE TOTS DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT NOT AT PATAGONIA. THE OUTDOOR CLOTHING COMPANY HAS BEEN PROVIDING SUBSIDIZED ONSITE CHILDCARE FOR YEARS AT H-Q, COMPLETE WITH A CLIMBING WALL AND VEGETABLE GARDEN. POLICIES LIKE THIS HAVE HELPED RETAIN MOMS IN RECORD NUMBERS.

COMING IN AT NUMBER FOUR, STAY INTERVIEWS. WE’VE ALL HEARD OF EXIT INTERVIEWS, YEAH? BUT THESE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS ARE BEING HELD BEFORE EMPLOYEES GET UP AND QUIT. IT’S BILLED AS A SAFE SPACE TO ALLOW WORKERS THE CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT ISN’T.

IN THE THREE SPOT, A 4-DAY WORK WEEK. PANASONIC AND MICROSOFT JAPAN HAVE JOINED THE GROWING LIST OF COMPANIES ADOPTING IT. MIGHT BE TOO EARLY TO CALL IT A TIPPING POINT BUT THE DATA IS SHOWING THAT SHORTER WEEKS ARE A BOON TO MENTAL HEALTH WHILE IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY.

AT NUMBER TWO, SETTING YOUR OWN SALARIES. AT ARGENTINIAN COMPANY 10PINES, THREE TIMES A YEAR THEY GET STAFF TOGETHER TO SET POLICIES, BUDGETS AND YES, STAFF SALARIES. IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, EMPLOYEES – OR MENTORS ON THEIR BEHALF – CAN PUT THEMSELVES UP FOR A RAISE WHICH IS THEN OPENLY DEBATED. OK, NOT EVERYONE WILL LIKE THAT ONE.

AND OUR TOP SPOT FOR RETAINING EMPLOYEES IN THE NEW YEAR, PAY THEM TO QUIT! THE SOFTWARE COMPANY TRAINUAL HAS A DEAL FOR NEW HIRES: FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO QUIT AFTER TWO WEEKS. THE PHILOSOPHY IS THIS: IF A NEW TEAM MEMBER ISN’T HAPPY, NOW’S THE TIME TO TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED NO ONE HAS TAKEN THE QUIT BAIT. ITS CEO SAYS, “IT’S A POWERFUL THING FOR THEM TO TURN DOWN THE CASH, OPT IN, AND COMMIT.”

THAT’S YOUR FIVE FOR FRIDAY. FOR JUST BUSINESS, IM SIMONE DEL ROSARIO. SEE YOU MONDAY.