People often evaluate situations through their own biases. We all face this challenge, though we can dive deeper into that another time.

You’ve certainly heard about “The Great Resignation.” Employers have had a very difficult time finding employees, particularly in service jobs such as the restaurant industry.

You’ve also probably heard people saying “nobody wants to work anymore.” Put aside for a moment the fact that this has been said for years by each generation. The reality of the situation is more complex, and for many, their biases are affecting how they view this problem.

We all need to come to terms with the reality that the pandemic was a traumatizing experience for many people. For others, it was deeply unsettling. It’s not surprising that many people altered their outlook on their lives, and naturally this spilled over into society and our culture.

With that in mind, we should all give more thought to how attitudes toward work have been affected, and with better understanding we can address the issue in more thoughtful and effective ways.

The “Great Resignation” is a term used to describe a significant and widespread increase in employee resignations, job changes, and voluntary departures from the workforce starting around 2021. This phenomenon was characterized by a noticeable shift in employees’ priorities, values, and expectations from their careers and employers. Several factors contributed to the Great Resignation, including:

COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic disrupted the job market, leading to layoffs, furloughs, and increased job insecurity. As a result, many people began reevaluating their work-life balance, job satisfaction, and career paths.

Remote work

The pandemic forced many businesses to shift to remote work, leading to increased flexibility and autonomy for employees. This change made some workers unwilling to return to traditional office environments and sparked a desire for more flexible work arrangements. Some people loved working from home and also felt they could be more productive.

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As we try to get back to “normal” following the Covid pandemic, it’s apparent that some things have changed for good.

One industry facing a reckoning involves business travel. Ask consultants and they will explain that business and margins boomed in 2020 as they were able to dramatically reduce travel, which lowered those expenses for clients, who plowed those savings back into billable hours for the consultants. The clients got more value for their money, while consultants made more. So there’s no incentive on either side to get back to “normal.”

That’s just one industry. Of course, there will be an appetite to get back to in-person contact. Conferences in particular should see lots of interest as networking doesn’t translate as well to Zoom calls and virtual conferences.

But, as explained in this post, businesses are starting to rethink what qualifies as “necessary travel.” This could have a huge impact on the travel and hotel industries and related jobs.

How soon will workplaces return to normal? In many cases, will there be a new normal?

Not surprisingly, the answers will vary sector-to-sector and business-to-business.

Cisco Systems CEO Chuck Robbins said the following: “I think you’ll see many employees that will continue to work from home, you’ll have many that will get back to the office and then you’ll have some that’ll do a little bit of both.”

Companies that navigate this successfully will have a huge advantage over companies who don’t adapt, and this can lead to greater productivity and also reduce overhead costs such as expensive office space in the future.