There has been a major, unexpected shift in the modern workplace that has left everyone confused. Following a year full of shutdowns, record-level unemployment series, and high-end economic uncertainty, a significant change has taken place that no one had imagined before. People nowadays are increasingly quitting their jobs.

The after-effects of the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have had a major impact on the workplace scenario. Companies all around the world continue adapting the respective work culture to fit the environment. Therefore, employers are continuously shifting their overall approach as far as recruitment is concerned.

However, what does it imply for the job seekers? Let us help you understand the same in detail!

Main Reasons for the Great Resignation

There are several issues that have been prevalent since the advent of the pandemic. Some of the reasons that have only accelerated the notion of the Great Resignation are:

• Employee Burnout: One of the major reasons for employees leaving their jobs is due to the overall burnout. It is a common phenomenon when an individual might be overworking while taking on more job responsibilities that are beyond one’s capabilities.
• Unfair Work Treatment: Some of the common instances of unfair treatment at a workplace could be:
• Age discrimination
• Race discrimination
• Sexual discrimination
• Gender discrimination
• Religious discrimination

Moreover, it is also observed that the respective ideas and contributions of all employees are not valued. Some of the additional forms of unfair treatment at a workplace could include offensive comments, unfair criticism, and so more.

• The Culture of Work from Home: There is no denying the fact that the overall popularity of hybrid workplaces has increased significantly. In a recent survey, it was found that around 83 percent of modern employees stated that they preferred working from home as the notion of remote working continues being a rapid success.
• More Freelancing Opportunities: A recent study report revealed that over 20 percent of modern workers think of becoming freelancers to work from home. Moreover, it is also predicted that in the span of upcoming five years, around 86.5 million workers will be freelancers. Based on study results, it is estimated that freelancing is not going anywhere soon.

What Will be the Main Effects for Job Seekers?

The Great Resignation is expected to reveal much more than the mere fact that employees are quitting their jobs at a rapid rate. When you will look at the bigger picture, it will highlight some specific problems of the employment industry. Not every individual is going to be satisfied with one’s job, compensated fairly for the respective hard work, or treated with ample respect.

While the Great Resignation will imply more opportunities to come across new job positions, the first aspects to consider are your health and the overall well-being. Some of the crucial effects of the Great Resignation for the job seekers are:

• Pursuing the Career of Your Choice; There is much more to consider than the mere salary and job benefits. You should also take into consideration some of the long-term factors related to career choice while pursuing something in which you might be genuinely interested. When you are content and enjoy what you are doing, it could result into multiple benefits. Some benefits to look out for are:
• Improved creativity
• Increased job and life satisfaction
• Improved work performance
• Better productivity
• Ample life fulfillment
• Standing Up to Workplace Discrimination: Irrespective of the background, everyone should be treated equally. When you are not treated with respect, you should not sit back and allow the disrespect to continue. You should aim at reporting such incidents to the respective employers or managers. There are also several external organizations to which you can reach out to get ample support for helping you out.
• Taking into Account Company Culture: Do you observe yourself as a part of the mission of the organization? An important factor you should consider is the organization’s culture to which you are applying for. It is an important activity in the development of valuable relationships with the employers and colleagues.

Some of the additional effects of the Great Resignation for the job seekers are:

• More Power for the Job Seekers: The Great Resignation has indeed given more power to the job seekers as they can openly quit their ongoing jobs and opt for more lucrative opportunities in which they are interested. There is a feeling of improved flexibility amongst employees who can live their lives fully and stress-free.
• Freelancing is Becoming More Popular: As the Great Resignation is leading to a significant decrease in the overall employment rates, the freelancing industry is booming at a rapid rate. A study report revealed that around 82 percent of freelancers tend to be happier working independently. There is a reduced dependency as well as stress on the freelancers to be with a single company. Moreover, freelancing delivers a higher earning potential to allow the freelancers to work with multiple companies at a time.
• More Opportunities for Formerly Discriminated People: As organizations practice discriminations across different levels of the employee scale, workers nowadays quit easily upon facing discrimination of any kind. Therefore, there is a greater opportunity for discriminated individuals to look for job positions with improved and respectful work cultures.
• Remote Work Opportunities are Increasing: As employees continue quitting their ongoing jobs, they are given more flexibility to practice remote working by modern organizations. The Great Resignation motivates them to work flexibly in any remote working setting.

Will the Trends Revert Soon?

It is estimated that there is no turning back from the workplace changes that have been brought about by the Great Resignation. A number of employers have already adapted to meet the specific needs of the workers. They are now addressing employee wellness -including financial and mental health, and also providing access to remote working opportunities. As the modern work arrangements deliver more flexibility as well as control over lives, people are no longer willing to back to conventional work environments.