As the Great Resignation continues at a record-breaking pace, I see people all around me jumping ship for better opportunities, higher pay, more benefits or improved work/life balance. I’m well aware that ample job openings are out there—perhaps offering something marginally more desirable—yet I stay. The Great Resignation may be making headlines but the story that isn’t being told as frequently is the “why” behind those of us who have remained. I suppose you could call us the “Lesser Retained.” For businesses, it’s critical to understand what motivates employees to stay just as much as a recruitment strategy and to incorporate it into internal communications. But first I’ll share the reasons why I felt compelled to remain in my role.

When Fletcher Marketing PR published this blog post last month highlighting the reasons I left my career as a journalist, so many people reached out to share their experiences. It seems many people feel the same way in their current careers (journalism or otherwise), and have either left, or are thinking of leaving soon. It doesn’t surprise me. Microsoft's Work Trend Index Report found nearly half the global workforce is considering quitting. 

Few careers offer the dynamic, exciting day-to-day work diversity, fast pace and intellectual stimulation as the public relations field. But alongside the adrenaline rush also comes PR's dubious honor of being ranked consistently as one of the most high-stress careers ... and the impact can take a real toll on both agency entrepreneurs and the larger PR workforce alike. To compound the issue further, openly discussing the issue has -- for decades -- been an unspoken taboo . . . but finally, this compounding factor is starting to change.