The “Great Resignation”: Causes, Consequences, and Creative HR Management Strategies

Abstract

The United States experienced the “Great Resignation” in 2021. In September 2021, 4.4 million American workers quit their jobs, which is the biggest employee resignation spike on record. The “Great Resignation” has made it essential for human resource (HR) managers to understand the changes and develop a new HR strategy that can stem the mass resignation of employees. This study argues that many of the pre-pandemic era’s HR policies and practices may not apply to the pandemic and post-pandemic periods and need to be adjusted. It discusses the causes and consequences of the “Great Resignation” and suggests innovative employee retention strategies that organizations can use to retain employees. Finally, the implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed.