According to a recent Deloitte study, 40% of workers across 31 global markets were considering leaving their jobs and of the 68.9 million workers who had left their jobs in 2021, 70% of them quit voluntarily. The study went on to describe how millennials and Gen-Z were the most dissatisfied with their jobs with 35% of them wanting to quit within two years regardless of whether they had another job lined up or not. This poses a significant problem for companies across the world and many of them have turned to hybrid work arrangements to solve it. Unfortunately, this has raised a new problem: how to keep employees engaged.

Charis Nicholas, Head of Logitech VC in Southern Africa says, “Over the past few years, we have seen the rise of worrying trends like the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting.” He adds “An increasing number of employees would rather leave their jobs than work in non-hybrid environments. It’s up to organisations to deal with this new reality and that means investing in equipment and systems that boost engagement and keep teams connected.” As organisations deal with this new reality, technology has emerged as a critical consideration in maintaining engagement and keeping teams connected.”

Stay engaged, stay productive.

Studies show that engaged employees are 17% more productive than their colleagues and 87% less likely to quit. That makes creating an engaged workforce paramount to the success of an organisation. One area where employers can improve engagement is by combatting online meeting fatigue. When employees do not feel part of a meeting their attention may wander, or they may begin to become stressed. By combining devices like the Logitech Sight and Rally Bar, employers can help create meeting spaces where remote participants can maintain a front-facing view of in-person interactions as the conversation flows between in-room and out-of-office participants.

The Logitech Sight, which is a tabletop camera, uses AI to detect and accurately frame participants, with a 315° field of view. This gives everyone the sense that they are in the room and part of the conversation, instead of feeling like they are just on the other end of the screen.

It is also paramount that employers encourage their teams to create guidelines around online meetings that keep focussed and to a minimum.

Establish boundaries then communicate clearly and compassionately within them:

While digital tools can be used to keep effective lines of communication, they also leave room to be taken advantage of. Employers can often feel, that if an employee is online, it means they are available, regardless of the time of day or what that employee’s workload may be like. In an in-office scenario, someone wearing headphones may signal that they are busy and leaving the office at the end of the day shows that an employee is clocking out. These non-verbal cues are not present when working remotely and that can lead to employees working longer hours at home and suffering burnout much quicker. This is why organisations must prioritise firm boundaries and communicate them effectively. It is also imperative that employees create supportive environments where employees feel their wellbeing is prioritised.

Hybrid work will be around for the foreseeable future and those that adapt to that reality fastest will be well placed to reap its rewards. By optimising a hybrid work environment and focusing on wellness and engagement, organisations can mitigate the effects of The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting. More importantly, with the right equipment, they can ensure an engaged, resilient workforce that remains as committed to organisational success as the C-suite is.