What Is “The Great Detachment” and Why Should Employers Care About It?

“The Great Detachment” at work is upon us and it’s an unsurprising trend that’s taking over the workspace. According to a study by Gallup, employees are both unsatisfied with their jobs but are also caught in a struggle to find a new source of employment, leaving them in the middle of a complex problem that feels inescapable. 

Employers will be quick to point out that worker disengagement trends were an inevitable consequence of remote work and the lack of face-to-face interactions, but the problem appears to be significantly more complex. There is also constant discourse on Gen Z employees solely being disengaged, but the numbers suggest that they aren’t the only ones feeling disillusioned with work in the modern day.

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The Great Detachment—What Is It and Why Are Employees Disengaged?

Employees who are dissatisfied with their jobs always have the option to quit and find a job that better meets their needs. The “Great Resignation” showed us that when workers put their minds to it, they can easily commit to leaving their roles to find employment elsewhere, regardless of how their employers feel about it. So why do employees feel stuck in their roles now? 

It’s because the job market is a little different from when workers felt more comfortable quitting at will. In the present day, 18% percent of workers are extremely unsatisfied with their jobs and feel uninterested in what it has to offer to them. Unfortunately for them, those unsatisfied with work find that they can no longer secure another job. Around 51% of workers are actively seeking a new job but they’re learning that the cooling job market has nothing to offer.

With the job market currently hostile to job seekers, one might assume that workers are trying to find peace with their current roles and hold on to their jobs a little longer, but the process has been particularly difficult for many reasons. 

What Are the Reasons Behind These Worker Disengagement Trends?

Gallup linked the current employee disengagement movement to a couple of different issues faced by the workforce. In the post-COVID period, many organizations saw rapid changes that were beneficial to their businesses in many ways but were also undeniably disruptive. 

From restructuring to increasing the job responsibilities of employees, there have been multiple changes within the workforce without adequate preparation or compensation for the same, leaving workers still dealing with the repercussions of the changes. 

There is also the ongoing conflict between remote work and in-person work. Regardless of how committed workers remain to remote work, it is obvious that it widens the chasm between employees and the organization. Unfortunately, employers remain equally committed to reversing remote work policies and little attention is paid to improving communication and relationships between remote teams. This time of ongoing conflict between the two parties is a primary reason for the Great Detachment.

The Times Are Changing But Our Systems Are Not Keeping Up

Additionally, workers have also witnessed a change in customer expectations, with a more demanding attitude witnessed along with higher expectations from a better digital experience. Not only have clients and customers changed, but the Great Detachment is also caused by employees themselves who now have different expectations from their employers which remain unmet. 

Unfortunately, these problems are compounded by the fact that performance management systems and practices haven’t kept up with the changing times either. The lack of satisfactory supervision, communication, career growth, and recognition of achievements are all a consequence of overwhelmed and underprepared management systems. 

We typically believe that only Gen Z employees are disengaged because they are fussy and the benefits they want aren’t easily available to them, however, this is an outdated perspective as they aren’t the only ones unsatisfied with the experience at work. 

We have also witnessed all the discourse around AI and technological advancements where workers feel unprepared to keep up with the changing times. Such a situation has made it harder for workers to feel valued or secure in their jobs. 

It’s Time for Employers to Reconnect and Recommit to Their Workforce

The Great Detachment may not sound like a serious threat at the moment because employees are unable to leave and migrate to greener pastures, but disengaged workers can be just as bad for an organization as absent ones. Employers need to set their own goals and priorities clearly, but they should also communicate these to employees and help them set their own targets for the upcoming year. 

The mission of the organization should be established with worker interests in mind, and there should be sufficient motivation for workers to work towards it, beyond the fear of losing their jobs if they don’t cooperate.

At a time when workers feel entirely alienated from their colleagues, employers, and their work itself, it is up to the organization to reel them back in and show them what they can achieve by working together. Workers who haven’t quit yet can still be convinced to stay and grow with the organization, and employees need to make the most of this opportunity to regain and retain their trust.

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