The "Great Resignation"

We had the "Great Recession" and now we have the "Great Resignation," says Anthony Kloyz who is an organizational psychologist. The reason - the COVID lock-down gave everyone more time to reflect on their lives and priorities and the conclusion was, "I don't want to continue living this way." Higher education is only a small part of a world-wide wave of protests against poor working conditions which is at the core of people quitting their jobs.

Some institutions are adjusting expectations for in-person versus virtual work as one way to accommodate workers' changing preferences. However, as many institutions moved back to campus-based experience, business officers struggled to find ways to attract qualified candidates as some campuses reversed remote work provisions. An alternative that some institutions are using to avoid the complications of remote workers is staffing through a third party. With higher education facing many challenges, some educators are urging their disenchanted colleagues to not jump out too quickly.

The pandemic era has taken its toll on many employment sectors. Experience, Inc. (Popelka, 2022) identifies some of the causes and how there is now a shift toward focusing on employee experience for all types of organizations. Higher education is behind the curve of other sectors that are focusing on fostering trust and serving as places of social interaction.

Leadership turnover among California's community colleges may be indicative of the broader impact of changes in work in higher education settings. Student affairs staff are one segment of higher education that appears to have suffered most significantly. A survey from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) found that 84% of student affairs workers said that stress and crises had led to their experiencing burnout. Solutions recommended in the repot were "transparent salary information, equitable promotion policies, flexible work options and regular two-way feedback." Nevertheless, subsequent research by the Southern Association of College Student Affairs indicated that 37% of student affairs educators planned to quit their jobs.

Turnover, burnout, and general demoralization are the outcomes of workplace dissatisfaction. Poor work cultures contribute to unhappiness, which is ironic in the face of higher education's centrality to developing human potential. Kevin McClure, who researches working conditions in higher education, commented in an interview with Inside Higher Education that the "most successful organizations in higher education over the course of the next 10 years are the ones that are gonna take workplace conditions and culture seriously and start doing that right now."

Burnout is a subjective determination and "burn-up" may be a more descriptive term that captures being spent and tire. Whether burnout or burn-up, creating environments that reduce its prevalence is likely a collective endeavor. Assuming that well-being, inclusiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship in the workplace are what employees want, the question becomes how do workplaces pivot to this kind of work culture? Further, what should higher education do to embrace and help the reported 40% of employees who were found in the survey to be considering quitting their current jobs within 3-6 months? Exploring options outside higher education isn't necessarily a bad thing. Looking around can sometimes result in realizing things aren't that bad or that things elsewhere aren't that great.

A survey completed by the College & University Professional Association for Human Resources found that 57.2% of current higher education workers are somewhat, likely, or very likely to seek employment elsewhere within the next year. One survey confirmed that half of faculty and staff are considering leaving higher education while another indicated that at least most faculty are happy, primarily due to their ability to support and mentor students. While there are both positive and negative aspects to turnover, the number of workers who are dissatisfied with their work environments is alarming and could represent a major impediment to productivity as experienced employees walk out the door. Some of the issue is about money, especially among service industry workers, but it's also about the respect and compassion of managers that results in even modest compensation increases to be effective in retaining workers.

Equally important to attracting and retaining talented employees in higher education, a sense of belonging is one of the easiest things that institutions can do and all their employees can embrace. Indications are that the sense of mattering is particularly important for employees in the 30-45 age bracket as well as those of minoritzed or marginalized backgrounds. Leadership is key in establishing positive educational and work cultures. Hiring the person not the resume, listening, valuing diversity, supervisory support, professional development, and building the team are all part of the mix by which leadership can make a difference in cultivating positive work environments.

For those considering a move out of higher education, there is a grieving process that will likely unfold as exit plans begins. Whether leaving a specific institution or higher education at large, navigating the grief of leaving includes making the decision to leave on your own terms, connecting with trusted colleagues, and realizing that its not always about you when your work contributions are not recognized.

While assistance in moving out of higher education is becoming a new market in itself, others are attempting to address campus problems that result in attrition. Perhaps the answer is in a partnership between higher education and employers at the local level, offering career coaching, upgrading skills, and consulting with organizations about how to change their cultures. Maybe higher education should even take a look at itself, exploring what about its workers' complaints expose fundamental dissatisfaction with unrealistic expectations and work environments that are dehumanizing?

Ultimately, flexibility in responding to those seeking other opportunities will create a healthier higher education workplace. Both institutions and individuals are served through a commitment to "allow your talented faculty and administrators to go, and be flexible and open to them coming back" if the promise of other and improved workplaces is unfulfilled.

The American College Personnel Association (ACPA-College Student Educators International) tackled the question of job quality  for student affairs educators in their report, "21st Century Employment in Higher Education." The report (available to ACPA members) critiques work environments in higher education as being laced with remnants of white supremacy and provides recommendations for change.