Let’s rekindle | Re-recruiting staff is the secret to talent retention in 2023

If there is one thing the human animal is good at, it’s taking things for granted. Falling into a rut, feeling the weight of routine and being unable to remember what we’re thankful for are all part and parcel of the human experience. Reimagining, rekindling and redesigning, therefore, are important skills both in our personal and professional lives.

Focusing on the negative, after all, is something that we’re literally wired to do genetically. Neuroscientists call this our ‘negativity bias’, and it’s not always a bad thing. Seeking patterns helps keep us safe, whether that’s our ancestors not touching fire or watching for signs of predators – or in the modern human animal, looking for signs that someone doesn’t have our best interest at heart, or learning from our mistakes at work and trying to be better colleagues.

But overcoming negativity bias does take some work in the modern era, particularly with relationships, including at work. While no one’s job or organisation is perfect, it’s all too easy to focus on the things that irk us, rather than the benefits of working where we do.

Microsoft UK has conducted its Work Trend Index Special Report for 2022, and this year, it’s all about hybrid working and the things that we’re still just not getting right. In fact, although the title, Hybrid work is just work – are we doing it wrong? may seem a bit daunting, the tech giant has helpfully conducted a survey of 20,000 workers across 11 countries to gain insight into how we can get work (forget calling it ‘hybrid anymore’) right. Further, Microsoft analysed trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals, along with LinkedIn labour trends and Glint People Science findings, to give HR leaders and managers the best information to keep the best talent engaged.