The Great Resignation | Staff retention still HR's top priority, study shows

The ‘Great Resignation’ in 2021 saw workers voluntarily quit their jobs at historic rates and, according to new research from specialist independent consultancy Barnett Waddingham, very few UK businesses escaped unscathed.

Just 15% of senior decision makers at UK businesses said that the great resignation had not affected them. Of the 85% affected, almost a third (32%) said they’d seen negative impacts on employee wellbeing as a result. 31% had seen team burnout, and 20% said it had led to unreasonable employee workloads.

The phenomenon has also impacted the ability of employers to recruit and retain staff. 32% said they’d struggled to attract new talent as a direct result of the Great Resignation, and 31% had trouble retaining their staff.

As well as delving into the impact on businesses, Barnett Waddingham sought to understand the reasons behind the phenomenon. In its survey of employees last year, the results indicated that one in every three workers (32%) were willing to resign from their job should their employer not agree to their choice of hybrid working arrangement. Now, in its survey of senior decision makers, it appears that has borne out.