Executive Career Coach Janelle Reid Explains How ‘The Great Resignation’ Is Affecting Black Workers

“The Great Resignation,” a byproduct of the drastic lifestyle changes brought on by the pandemic, has led to millions of corporate workers opting to quit their jobs rather than return to the office full-time.

In the last year, more and more workers have left a company based on how an employer treated them – or didn’t treat them – during the pandemic, BBC reports. A phenomenon was spawned where workers only stayed at a company that offered them support and quit if they didn’t.

Now businesses have had to remodel their structure to add employee retention as part of their bottom line.

“The Great Resignation has created a paradigm shift in Corporate America from a “live to work” to a “work to live” culture,” says Janelle Reid, an executive career coach and founder of Divine Career Solutions.

“Corporate America will now have to value, prioritize and deliver a people agenda that provides a work environment that creates boundaries for work-life balance, normalizes & celebrates having a life outside of work, and develops people to be the best version of themselves holistically.”

In this new future of the workplace, a company will have to rethink its business model and ensure that its talent is treated as a valued investment.

When it comes to how this new remote way of life applies to Black corporate workers, many Black women have felt more relief working from home due to how easily they can avoid microaggressions within the workplace, Washington Post reports.

“The growing number of Black corporate workers opting for remote work rather than working at an office, increases the risk of isolation and stagnation in the progress around diversity & inclusion,” Reid says.

“As a result of the pandemic, companies placed diversity & inclusion efforts on hold and it’s too important to be put on the back burner,” she added. “The impact of this reinforces existing exclusive behaviors and unconscious biases and undermines inclusion.”

There are still a growing number of workers facing new challenges while adjusting to remote work life. Reid shared four time management suggestions to help workers continue accelerating their careers from home:

Establish explicit, consistent and disciplined work-life boundaries. Without boundaries in both your work and home life, burnout is inevitable.
Set a schedule for your work hours and personal time, and be consistent to stick to it. Setting a schedule establishes order and structure for your day which is a critical part of time management. Once you’ve got your core hours set, block off time to do deep, focused work and/or for meetings. These regularly scheduled times can help you manage your time by limiting when you can and can’t be disturbed.
Play to your strengths as you work on your to-do list and set deadlines. Consider the order of your tasks to help you stay on target and keep you motivated. For example, if you’re an early riser and feel at your mental best as you start your day, consider tackling your hardest items first. Conversely, if it takes you a while to get going in the morning, consider starting with an easier activity or one that requires less mental energy.
Take breaks. You have to be self-aware and intentional about taking breaks to replenish yourself. When you set your schedule, be sure that you allocate time for breaks and do something to clear and reset your mind.

Reid’s methods for converting skills and talents to achieve goals can be found in her new book Awakening Your Value Proposition: How To Be At Your Best To Deliver Solutions.