The Great Resignation: How to Build Loyalty Among your E-commerce Staff

The pandemic has triggered a number of changes, including the way we live and work. One of the latest notable events is the global phenomenon that is known as the 'Great Resignation'. What is the Great Resignation about, and how can you benefit from practicing retention within your company? How can you retain not only your customers, but also your e-commerce staff? Keep reading to learn all about the Great Resignation.

Table of contents:

What is the Great Resignation about?
Recent Trends and new modes of work
1. Loyal customers and loyal e-commerce staff
2. Why you need to retain your e-commerce team
7 tips: How to build loyalty among your staff
1. Example: How to build loyalty among your staff members

What is the Great Resignation about?

The Great Resignation, also known as “the Great Disruption” is a trending phenomenon which originated in the United States during the summer of 2021.

Due to the effects and restrictions influenced by the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus, many employees were forced to quit their jobs as they could no longer handle the rising cost of living.

Although to a lesser extent, a similar dynamic also occurred in several European countries. However, the reason loads of people are leaving their jobs cannot only be related to economic factors.

The coronavirus pandemic, and the lockdowns that were implemented, have profoundly changed and affected the way we live and work. Digitalisation had to be pushed forward more eagerly and quicker than before.

The acceleration of digitalisation for its part, allowed more employees to try more flexible and digital modes of work such as smart work or remote work.

Good to know: What is the difference between smart working and remote work?

When talking about digital and remote work conditions, we refer to different terms. One thing that smart working and remote work have in common is that a functioning internet connection is essential for both modes of work.

However, remote work refers to standard work routines that can be followed from home. The schedules and tasks that would normally be performed in the office, remain the same. Smart working on the other hand, also referred to as “agile work”, is primarily characterised by the absence of constraints in terms of time and space.

The main focus is on working as efficiently as possible.

Both modes of work have immensely grown in popularity as they promote the reduction of stress as well as mental health issues and can lead to an overall improved work-life-balance.

Another benefit of remote and flexible work conditions is that employees want to feel valued as such, instead of being treated as if they were replaceable and had only superficial value to the company.

The Great Resignation in the UK and Europe

As the British newspaper the Guardian reported, 69% of workers in the United Kingdom had been eager to leave their current jobs in 2021. Usually, before the coronavirus pandemic had impacted everyday life, the UK had seen only 11% of employees planning to quit their positions.

Business network platform LinkedIn shared the results of a similar study, the Microsoft Work Trend Index 2021. According to the study, 41% of workers all around the globe had been considering leaving their current jobs in 2021, while 46% of the respondents were open to new job offers if the company offered better remote work conditions.

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Recent trends and new modes of work

The world has changed, customers' expectations have changed, and so have those of workers and employees.

Smart working, and the flexibility that comes with it, is destined to remain a fixed presence in the business world.

Source: Microsoft 2021 Work Trend Index

In the course of the digital shift in everyday life, new shopping preferences have emerged as well. An omnichannel customer journey and click & collect have become indispensable shopping preferences that many shoppers have gotten used to and now expect from shop owners.

Consumers as well as employees from younger generations such as Millennials and Generation Z wish to live and work more independently, instead of committing to the same job for years. The so-called “YOLO economy” has become highly popular among staff members of these generations.

Therefore, it is more important than ever that you as a business owner and employer find appealing ways that will have your staff members convinced to stay at your company.

Loyal customers and loyal e-commerce staff

Shutterstock/chayanuphol

In e-commerce, retaining customers and building customer loyalty is essential to your online shop’s success.

However, as we indicated before, this formula shouldn’t only be considered with regard to customers.

Recommended reading:
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While in the past, it had been companies dictating the conditions, efforts must now be made to attract and turn employees into proponents.

As an e-commerce business owner, your focus shouldn’t only be on customers. Having your staff sympathise with your business’ values will have a positive impact on their work and will inspire them to assure potential customers of your business more eagerly and convincingly.

This, of course, will then result in more sales and turnover for you and your business.

According to a survey conducted by Microsoft in over 100 countries involving 180,000 employees, it was found that…

for hybrid work to be still considered as a benefit that will attract new employees, it is necessary to build an environment rich in trust and flexibility
company leaders are out of touch with the reality that employees face, and they need to increase their awareness towards their current needs and wishes
productivity at all costs is actually fatigue in disguise
Gen Z workers are constantly looking for new possibilities and companies are at risk of losing them as loyal employees
a lack of networking opportunities will jeopardise innovation
authenticity is the engine that drives productivity and well-being among staff members
qualified talents, in a remote world, can be found everywhere

Find out how to build loyalty and trust among your customers 👇 Download our whitepaper:

Why do you need to retain your e-commerce team?

We’ve already talked about new ways of working and how all that has changed in the course of the Great Resignation. Now, let's talk about why it's important for you as a business owner in e-commerce to focus not only on retaining customers, but also building loyalty among your own staff.

First of all, it is a matter of fact that costs for new hires are high. In addition, keep in mind that once the contract is terminated, you would have to pay a severance.

Hiring a person entails expenses for search and selection software, time and effort of the HR department, expenses related to the publication of job ads, and finally, the time and costs of onboarding and training new staff members.

After all, you would want to hire the best candidates as the people you employ will represent the core of your business.

Consider that you also have to bear more than just the salary costs that those who work for you should rightly receive.

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7 tips: How to build loyalty and retain your staff

To avoid incurring all the expenses mentioned above, there are a few things you can do to ensure that those who work for you can feel part of a team, and not as if they were replaceable.

Here are 7 tips:

Invest in professional trainings and workshops for both team leaders and employees.
Make sure to implement technologies and software that will enable your staff to collaborate in an efficient way, even if team members work remotely. Implement a bridge between analogue and remote working conditions.
Mental health is important, as well as taking breaks from digital fatigue (or digital overload), which has increased due to incessant meetings, as 'analogue' interactions have decreased. Do not contact your employees outside working hours, and respect the fact that they have a private life apart from the job.

Source: Microsoft 2021 Work Trend Index

Try to create a community among your employees and build a positive work environment.
Rethink the corporate culture, value your employees, and create a working experience that will attract team members, instead of driving away.
Diversity, whether ethnic, cultural, gender or any other type in a team is an asset. Make team leaders and employees aware of it too.
Different people may have different needs. Remember this and that your team is first and foremost made up of individuals.
And, of course, offer appropriate salaries.

Example: How to build loyalty among your staff members

To give you an example of how companies can build loyalty among their staff in order to retain them, we will now talk a bit about the benefits that Trusted Shops offers to their team members.

Trusted Shops tries to create a positive environment where everyone can feel part of the team. Moreover, since starting a new job is always stressful, new hires can benefit from the knowledge of a dedicated colleague guiding them through their onboarding process with their buddy system.
Team events where you can meet and spend time with colleagues in an informal environment, and digital channels to allow for informal social interactions.
New Work: you can decide whether to work from home, in the office, while on holiday, and flexibly organise your time-schedule.
Recurring diversity and inclusiveness meetings, where employees can share their experience or listen to the story of other people with a different background, allowing an opportunity for growth.
Health programme: Trusted Shops workers taking care of their mental and physical health receive an extra day off per year.
The possibility to participate in workshops and personalised courses to get new insights and develop their talents.
A multicultural environment as Trusted Shops works cross-border.

These are just some of the advantages offered by Trusted Shops that you can take a cue from and perhaps create similar programmes in your own business.

💡 By the way, did you know we are hiring? Keep an eye on our LinkedIn profile so you don't miss any opportunities! Alternatively, head to our Careers page.

Conclusion

The job market is changing, as are the needs of customers and your e-commerce staff.

Make sure your company is able to attract talent while keeping up with the times, and remember, it is not only important to retain customers, but also retain those who work for you.