This month on the SWACUHO Podcast we are joined by Drs. Robin Williamson, Stephanie McBrayer, and Mimi Benjamin to discuss and dig into "The Great Resignation". While we only scratch the surface, we start by looking upstream at the challenges of recruiting staff before looking downstream at retaining staff once they are with us. We ask the following questions: Is the field less attractive than it once was? Are placement exchanges a thing of the past? Are all "essential" positions created equal when it comes to remote work? Are additional responsibilities assigned due to staff vacancies a legitimate "opportunity?" And, would J.C. have gotten in a fistfight with his counterparts for the "opportunity" to cover additional buildings during grad school?
Throughout the conversation, we circle back around to how the pandemic accelerated many things, like conversations surrounding workplace culture and social and workplace inequity, reinforcing how these concerns already existed before the pandemic. So the final question we ask ourselves is: should we have seen this coming?
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Resources Mentioned:
New Growth: Student Affairs Professionals Are Tired and Tired of It. What Are the Questions Today's Leaders Need to Answer to Improve Conditions for Tomorrow's New Hires? [Talking Stick]