Employment trends expert says that Microsoft is not the only company trying to enhance the employee experience
Microsoft just made international headlines after they revealed four new workplace initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining talent. The tech giant says they will no longer require employees to sign non-disclosure agreements or non-competes. In addition, Microsoft is committing to pay transparency for new hires and to confidentiality agreements in dispute resolution, aimed at making sure that employees feel safer coming forward about misconduct.
“What we are seeing is a complete shift in the way companies like Microsoft are approaching their staff and the traditional workplace hierarchy,” says Rob Wilson, employment trends expert and President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm with locations around the country. “Employers have lost a lot of their upper hand in the last 2 years. Employees have options, and they are making it very clear that they realize this.”
In 2021, 53% of Americans switched companies or even their field of work.
“Employees are more mobile than ever,” says Wilson. “In the old days, switching jobs or companies frequently would seem strange on a resume. But now, that’s all changed: Today’s generation isn’t interested in staying at one company for 40 years, and they see job mobility as wise and proactive.”
Wilson says that this means that employers have to work double-time to retain staff. But, this doesn’t have to mean throwing more money at workers.
“As Microsoft’s latest H.R. decisions reveal, what matters to employees is not just salary but feeling like they have a voice and they have power in their workplace,” says Wilson. “They don’t want to feel like they are powerless or that the traditional boss-employee hierarchy still exists.”
Wilson says that companies who are struggling to retain workers in this economy may consider making small changes to the workplace culture like Microsoft is doing.
“If increasing pay isn’t possible for you right now, you can still be a competitive company by making your policies feel more empowering,” says Wilson. “The more you can make your employees feel like they are valued and they have autonomy and respect, the more you’re going to get top talent…and keep them.”
For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.