How automation is helping with retention and attrition

There are so many conversations going on about attrition and resignation. Here is one, from a McKinsey article, that frames the sentiment and possible solutions concisely.

40% of employees are somewhat likely to leave their job. This sentiment applies across all position levels in the organization, with the hospitality and retail industries bearing the brunt.

With the generational mix in today's workforce, there are five broad personas. These are broad categorizations, and most people move between several of them:

• The traditionalists: looking for a traditional job and a career path; dependable, with a lower tolerance for risk. In essence, great employees. Unfortunately, there are fewer of them.
• The do-it-yourselfers: dabbling in the gig economy, for example with a side job; they want to own their career path. Mostly 25 to 45 years old, they need proof that a manager is a better boss than they are themselves.
• The idealists: mostly recent graduates looking to pursue their passion, with a strong need for work-life balance.
• The caregivers: mostly women with family obligations such as children or elderly parents; they need flexibility.
• The relaxers: mostly recent retirees, looking for purpose and to leave a legacy.

The traits common to all these personas are flexibility, compensation, development and purpose.

Four levers for hiring and retention

The first two are ongoing:

1. Attract talent, with different offerings for different personas.
2. Retain existing talent, by creating a culture that makes it hard to leave.

The second two are long-term plays:

3. Build long-term partnerships with community organizations, schools and others to increase the supply of workers.
4. Reduce the number of workers needed by changing the way work is done, through automation.

Of course, this is the part where I politely point out that automating routine and repetitive tasks gives more meaningful purpose to staff at all levels, and relieves the stress of filling open positions. We've gone live with a few new projects recently where I'm most proud of that result.