[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/09\/01\/the-great-regret\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/09\/01\/the-great-regret\/","headline":"The Great Regret: Workers second-guess joining the Great Resignation","name":"The Great Regret: Workers second-guess joining the Great Resignation","description":"Many workers who quit during last year's Great Resignation are now feeling the Great Regret. Learn ways to overcome regret and move on.","datePublished":"2022-09-01","dateModified":"2023-03-23","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/david-rand\/#Person","name":"David Rand","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/david-rand\/","identifier":662,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27af23cf29ea2b57936ae1099d10f2b43bf9e7528abe792c2ae825d887981c44?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27af23cf29ea2b57936ae1099d10f2b43bf9e7528abe792c2ae825d887981c44?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Great-Regret-FTR.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Great-Regret-FTR.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/09\/01\/the-great-regret\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/employee-engagement\/","name":"Employee Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Employee_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q14937678"]},"Employee Experience & Engagement","HXM: Human Experience Management","HXM: Human Experience Management",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/hxm-human-experience-management-solution\/human-resources\/","name":"The Future of Human Resources","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_resources"]}],"wordCount":983,"keywords":["Employee Engagement","Employee Experience","Future of Human Resources","Future of Work","Human Resources"],"articleBody":"It turns out that suddenly quitting a job to pursue other interests might be highly overrated. The Great Resignation is giving way to the Great Regret.Last year, 47.4 million U.S. workers came to the realization they weren\u2019t happy with their current work scenarios and chucked their jobs as part of what came to be known as the Great Resignation or Big Quit.Low pay, lack of advancement opportunities, feeling disrespected at work, and childcare issues were top drivers for this employee exodus, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Many others left to spend more time with family, start new businesses, move to other locales, or hit pause on the rat race.Now, studies show it’s the Great Regret for many workers. Consider these stats:About one in five workers who\u00a0quit\u00a0during the past two years have come to regret it, according to a Harris Poll survey for USA Today.Among those who switched employers, only 26% like their new jobs enough to stay, the poll foundDespite a bullish U.S. employment report in July, 40% of people who resigned without a replacement position waiting say they\u2019re struggling to find work, according to a recent Joblist survey.Overall, 22% of quitters regret leaving their old companies because they miss interaction with former colleagues, Joblist reports.      History repeats: Pandemic, labor shortage, and The Great Resignation                How can companies attract top talent through - and beyond - the Great Resignation and post-pandemic labor shortage?      The psychology behind the Great RegretPsychologists say regret usually involves people blaming themselves for decisions they made \u2013 or didn\u2019t make \u2013 that resulted in feelings of loss. In employment terms, that could mean making a career move that didn\u2019t pan out.Regret is typically seen as a negative emotion \u2013 and one of the most difficult to overcome \u2013 because it often involves things we cannot change, namely the past. For example, those millions of Americans who quit jobs could easily lament doing so because it’s hampering their careers.As we all know, being out of work for any period doesn\u2019t look great on resumes and sometimes leads to hiring managers questioning a job candidate\u2019s work ethic. When confronted with such realities, workers could find their feelings of regret intensifying to the point of becoming all consuming.But experts say it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Regret can serve as a \u201csource of insight and learning\u201d and support the development of an increasing sensitivity to the value and worth of opportunities, relationships, and the fragility of life, writes James Tobin, a Southern California psychologist.In other words, the Great Regret can help us learn and motivate us to positive action.This content is hosted by a third party ( player.simplecast.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowGetting back on your feetSo how do you turn the Great Regret into a career enabler? First off, face your feelings. It\u2019s okay to admit to yourself or others that you regret decisions. Pride gets you nowhere and repressing your feelings don’t make them go away.If anything, those emotions can stew under the surface and undermine self-esteem, creativity, and aggressiveness \u2013 attributes that help people succeed in workplaces. Psychologists say it\u2019s important to acknowledge these feelings as a precursor to coming to terms with them.Next, find the source of regret \u2013 and reframe it. It\u2019s easy to blame your decision for your current feelings, but regret can stem from a variety of other sources. For example, perhaps you had a great business idea, and the day job was holding you back when you quit to pursue the idea. Or maybe feelings of not being appreciated in the old job were instinctual alarm bells that layoffs were afoot, and you needed to look elsewhere. Or maybe your desire to spend more time with family during the pandemic meant you saw that as the clear priority instead of work.Psychologists say cognitive reframing, where we shift our mindsets to see things differently, can help overcome many feelings of regret. After identifying the decisions causing angst, the idea is to put those decisions into a perspective that’s realistic.For example, instead of telling yourself that you left a well-paying job to chase a risky business venture, frame it as being about removing an obstacle to a potential opportunity.      Employee well-being and productivity: Striking a balance                More paid time off, free mental health counseling, and regular check-ins via surveys: The focus on employee well-being has never been better - or more important.      Stop over-analyzing and move forwardWhen bogged down with regrets, it\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of paralysis by analysis. This is where you spend so much time scrutinizing decisions or focusing on all those \u201cwhat ifs\u201d that it becomes a straitjacket that inhibits future potential success. At some point, you must give yourself a break and find a path forward.It might mean doubling down on the decision you made once you\u2019ve put it into a more acceptable context. Or it could lead to making amends and going back to the old job. Perhaps you choose a completely new path that adapts to today\u2019s economic, social, technological, and political realities.Whatever the case, overcoming regret depends upon acting. Unless you get going, those regrets will keep you down.The Big Quit and Big Regret will probably wind up as blips on the historical radar. As time marches on, they\u2019ll fade and become less important in the grand scheme of things.Obsessing over choices that didn\u2019t pan out helps nobody. But by understanding and putting those decisions into perspective, workers can position themselves for brighter and healthier futures.  HR, better.Employees, happier.Businesses, healthier.It’s time to modernize the employee experience."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2022","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/09\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The Great Regret: Workers second-guess joining the Great Resignation","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/09\/01\/the-great-regret\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]