Why Do Employees Resign Following Their Vacation?

A recent study from monster.com  shows that employees returning from holiday are a certifiable flight risk. In its poll of over 1,200 visitors to the site last year, Monster revealed that nearly 70 percent of respondents are more likely to look for another job upon returning from vacation.

So, what is the reason for this post vacation turnover effect? Well, monster.com put it down to holidays being a “great time for self assessment” because workers are detached from their day-to-day routine, relaxed and more able to think outside the box about their own personal situation. They can: think more clearly, see the wood for the trees and more effectively diagnose work and life obstacles.

Of course, this post vacation turnover effect is likely to be prominent in the summer when most people take their vacations, but employers should be starting to make their preparations now so they are not caught off guard in the summer months.

But, what steps can employers take to counteract or manage this post vacation turnover effect? Of course, most best of breed employers will be engaging with employers all year round, but this post vacation period is a potential hot-spot for turnover and employers should focus on some specific engagement initiatives around that time.

For example, why not take advantage of the fact that employees may be coming out of a holiday with a new clarity of purpose by holding a career or role review with each member not long after they return. They may have lots of new ideas about what they want to do and about how they can improve the department. Tap into this vitality and energy and match opportunities to desires. Is the role not living up to their expectations? Do they want a change of pace, responsibilities or role emphasis? Can you meet their needs within the company, discouraging them from having to go elsewhere to find it?

This also makes the end of the vacation period in late summer a great time for brain storming and innovation. This could be the perfect time to be holding an innovation contest or innovation summit where employees are challenged to come forward with new ideas and creations that can take the business forward. Innovation contests are nothing new but dovetailing them together at the end of the vacation period where employers may be full of new ideas and initiatives about their own careers and about your business in general. This post vacation reflection period is a time when your employees may be full of ideas and you should take advantage of them.

Also, consider trying to focus the posting of new internal job opportunities in the post vacation, late summer period.  This may mean there are a wealth of opportunities that could be appealing to your employees returning from vacation with big ideas and a renewed sense of purpose.

It’s about turning this period of post vacation uncertainty from a turnover problem into an opportunity to present new ideas and opportunities to them that may both take your business forward and satisfy their newfound sense of purpose and direction.