We all love a pithy phrase. But whilst the 'great resignation' neatly captures what all employers are experiencing currently - 1.3 million vacancies in the UK, 33% of employees allegedly planning to look for a new job in 2022 and 26% having already called recruiters or shared their CVs online, it explains the symptom - not the cause.

At PeopleScout we're seeing a fundamental shift happening in how people are reflecting on their lives and work as the COVID-19 pandemic endures into 2022.

Conversations with employees across all ages and sectors indicate that people have developed a new sense of awareness and worth for themselves and the world around them. This is prompting them to demand more personal value and purpose from both life and work. 

65% of participants in one study said the pandemic had made them rethink the place that work should have in their life. 56% said it made them want to contribute more to society. 

Smart employers will acknowledge this truth and respond with a more human and purpose-driven employment deal.

Today's REC/KPMG report on UK jobs highlights the ongoing pressure on salaries - with wage inflation at it's highest for mover 20 plus years. 

However, rather than just paying staff more, employers need to develop a more human employment value proposition.

The era of the employment contract, when a worker provided services purely in exchange for monetary compensation, is over. Employees want organisations to recognise their value and provide value to them on a human level. Monetary compensation is important for surviving, but deeper relationships, a strong sense of community and purpose-driven work are essential to thriving. 

This is the value that employees expect their employers to provide.  

Is your EVP based on legacy conditions and thinking - or does it deliver the personal value and sense of purpose demanded by a post pandemic workforce?