EMPLOYEE RESIGNATION TRENDS IN INDIA

Why do employees quit? Rather, what forces them to leave an organisation? Low pay, poor work culture, and the list goes on. But what’s worth paying attention to is the manner in which employees exit the organisation.

One employee suddenly disappears. No notice period, no discussion with HR or colleagues. Just an empty chair, one fine Monday morning, accompanied by a short goodbye email. 

Colleagues raise their eyebrows, HR labels it unprofessional, and bosses get annoyed. Clients have to deal with sudden delays in deliverables, and the team gets burdened with extra work.

The damage is done. The employee has left, but the company finds it hard to digest the fact that it lost one of its good employees overnight without any warning.

Gone are the days when employees used to serve for more than 5-10 years in the same company, irrespective of circumstances. Resignation rates are increasing year by year as employees no longer find meaning in tolerating, sacrificing and compromising. 

Let’s delve deep into the matter to understand the recent resignation trends in India.

Types Of Resignation

Resignation can happen in any form - with or without putting down papers. Sounds strange? Keep reading to know the different ways an employee resigns from a company.

1. Quiet Quitting 

Have you ever had to accept the harsh truth that nothing is going to change at your workplace? 

If yes, you have already quit your company. That means you are emotionally disengaged and no longer have any goals, hopes or dreams about your job. You are just showing up every day for the sake of monetary benefits. Nothing about the job excites or stresses you. You have emotionally withdrawn from everything concerning your job. 

This has become quite common among Gen Z as well as millennials. Voicing their concerns doesn’t help. HR doesn’t help. So, employees quit emotionally. 

On record, there are no mass resignations. But the silent emotional withdrawal results in low enthusiasm and productivity. The senior leadership scratches their head to identify the real problem, while employee mentality goes unnoticed yet again. 

2. No-notice resignation

This one is easily every frustrated employee’s favourite way to exit a firm. Sudden exits without serving notice period are a popular trend among employees in IT, ITeS and startups. Such resignations can occur for several reasons. It could be an impulsive decision or a decision made after much deliberation. Many employees quietly plan their exit long before they actually put in their papers. Egoistic bosses, office politics, uncooperative colleagues, poor work-life balance, lack of flexibility, the problems could be many. No-notice resignations happen when employees believe discussions won’t bear any positive results. Instead, they choose to quit immediately and move on. 

Revenge quitting is another term used for no-notice resignations. Employees adopt this approach when they want to teach employers a lesson for mistreating them. They choose to protest by quitting without serving notice period, hoping the company would finally realise their value. 

3. Loud quitting

Most employers dread this form of resignation. Loud quitting is when employees quit by openly criticising employers on social media. In this form of resignation, employees want fellow professionals to know the downsides of working with a certain company. This adversely affects the company’s reputation and discourages people from applying in the future. 

Why are employees quitting?

Remuneration is no longer the only factor dominating the list of reasons for resignation. Poor work culture, favouritism, organisational instability and office politics are good enough reasons for employees to quit. 

Employees these days want more than just a decent salary. They want to feel seen, appreciated and valued at the workplace. They prioritise flexibility and work-life balance as they have other goals besides professional milestones. Employee expectations have changed over time, and companies have failed to keep up. 

Pay is rarely the only reason why employees quit. It’s always a mix of factors that go beyond monetary benefits, which forces an employee to resign. 

Surprisingly, HR and leadership are unaware of the challenges that an employee tackles on a daily basis. They invest their time and resources in onboarding, often neglecting other things crucial to retaining an employee. 

What should employers do?

1. Conduct surveys

Employees don’t always disclose the real reason behind quitting. They often cite reasons that are easier to disclose than the actual factor forcing their exit. 

Conduct anonymous surveys internally to get honest feedback. Anonymous surveys will give you crucial insights into areas that need improvement within your workplace. Plus, employees can voice their concerns without fearing consequences. 

2. Encourage work-life balance

It’s easier said than done. Most companies are vocal about work-life balance on social media. But the reality at the workplace is often far from what they preach on online platforms. Allow some flexibility to employees and hire enough staff to manage tight deadlines. Most employees hesitate to take designated leaves, fearing the overwhelming workload waiting for them when they return to work. Such seemingly small problems slowly plant seeds of resignation in an employee’s mind.

3. Invest in team-bonding activities

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. This is true for corporate employees as well. Sitting in front of a computer/laptop for 9-10 hours straight, with very little opportunity for relaxation and team bonding, only makes the employee frustrated and unproductive in the long run. Invest in activities like team lunch, getaways, festival celebrations, etc., to create a sense of togetherness among team members.  

Even if you are a small company, you can find ways to keep your team together. You need not plan something grand. It’s the thought and effort that count. Something as simple as game time on Friday evenings can lift the spirits of employees. 

Conclusion

There is no way to stop employees from resigning. But as an employer, you can always control the way an employee chooses to exit. No-notice resignations adversely affect business continuity. Silent quitting erodes revenue in the long run, and loud quitting irreversibly harms reputation. 

Employers need to be proactive and take measures to boost employee morale. At every stage, from salary negotiation to training, employees silently evaluate and internalise how they are treated. 

If employers invest as much effort and resources in shaping positive employee perceptions as they do in hiring and onboarding, frequent resignations wouldn’t happen, and retention rates would look far better than you ever imagined.