The Great Resignation is an ongoing concern: Many employees who quit their jobs recently are already looking for work again, now more cautious about a "grass is always greener" mindset. For employers, this means there's still an unprecedented number of candidates on the market, but getting them to make another leap will require an extra level of care in order to stand out from the crowd.

Business leaders should ask themselves: Are we making it easy for job candidates to make a big change? In the following, we consider how companies can improve attraction, retention and diversity by better understanding and solving common problems that job candidates face. By taking large and small steps to address these pain points, employers can ease the opportunity costs candidates experience in pursuing new employment while gaining a competitive edge in a candidate's market.

A warm welcome

It's hard to be the new kid. As we get older, we trade schools for offices, but the difficulty of acclimating to a new organizational rhythm and culture stays with us. One of the major blockers that can stall change is the fear of something new, the struggle of adapting to the unfamiliar and the anxiety of not fitting in.

I spoke with a colleague recently who was weighing the decision to sign on with a new firm. She had been with her current employer for over 15 years. Interpersonal dynamics and internal politics had made her employee experience increasingly negative, so much so that she had actively sought alternative employment. However, now facing an official offer, she hesitated. Sure, her current situation was bad, but it was familiar. She knew everyone, she understood the daily workflow, etc. "I haven't had a first day on the job in over a decade," she said. What if the new job was just as bad as her current one?

The colleague's sentiment is relatable; even in toxic work situations, the devil you know can be better than the devil you don't. What if the new job recreates exactly what the employee is trying to escape?

Business leaders can address this fear by actively cultivating and encouraging a welcoming environment. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have gained increasing traction in recent years, encouraging employers to embrace difference. But leaders need to take this a step further by actively creating a culture and workplace that encourages employees to bring their whole selves to work by making varied identities visible and supported.

Another colleague recalled a virtual morning sync meeting in his first month at a new job. An unexpected snow day meant many workers at the main office were at home with their children. As a result, the meeting was flooded with little faces. "A lot of companies say they're family-friendly, but this was the first time I actually saw it in action," he said. "I have a daughter, and it meant a lot that I could be a dad too. It made me feel like I belonged here, like I was part of the team."

Employers can dispel or even preempt worries about fitting in when they lead with a welcoming culture. Start by practicing empathy: Take time to consider what would have made you feel welcome on your first day, or even during an interview. Ask your current employees: What makes them feel welcome? What would make them feel even more seen, respected and appreciated?

Capturing authentic cultural insights from across the organization can help hiring teams paint a clearer, more specific picture of the experience a candidate can expect — and make a transition feel less jarring.

Practical matters

Practical concerns can weigh heavily on employment decisions. Transitioning to a new position can mean an interruption in pay or adjusting to new childcare routines.

More than 60% of American employees live paycheck to paycheck — can they move from a biweekly paycheck to a monthly paycheck and still pay their bills? Likewise, by choice or by necessity, an increasing number of parents with young children both work.

Taking a new job presents a range of opportunity costs for employees of all stripes. Employers can take steps to reduce or assuage these costs.

For one, employers can fast-track employee benefits. Waiting weeks for a new employer's insurance plan to take effect can be an annoyance for some employees. But for those with chronic medical needs, an interruption in coverage can be a serious concern. Planning an effective start date for benefits can put employees at ease, knowing they won't have to sacrifice care for a new opportunity.

Pay can be a similarly challenging issue. While businesses are often beholden to banking conventions that may not provide the flexibility a new employee needs, leaders can still take steps to reduce potential financial strain. Signing bonuses independent of an employee's first paycheck are one solution. Earned wage access services, which allow employees to claim a portion of their earned wages ahead of the typical pay period, are another potential answer.

Not all new employees may need these accommodations. Regardless, making them readily available means that no one has to turn down a good job — and you don't have to lose the right candidate — due to external circumstances.

The little things

While DEI initiatives and benefit programs represent large-scale interventions into a new employee experience, it's also important to consider all of the little things that make up one's acclimation to a new work environment.

Let's use the first day on the job as a case study: making introductions, learning new communication and workflow systems, adjusting to departmental rhythms, interpreting new lingo. It can be an overwhelming experience. It's also an experience that every employee, from entry-level positions to the C-suite, shares.

As a leader, consider how you would proactively and preemptively tackle the small stresses that contribute to a new employee's orientation to your organization. A friend's recent experience serves as a master class in how to set up a new employee for success:

Their first day was on the last day of the week, a marked contrast from the franticness that typically characterized the beginning of the week. They had time blocked off on their schedule to set up their email, software, etc. They were also invited as an observer to various meetings, a way to get a feel for internal dialogue. Lastly, they received a gift certificate for lunch at a local restaurant (it was a remote position). "I've had probably 20 first days in my career," my friend remarked, "but this was the first time I enjoyed it."

Care all the way down

Attuning your approach to the small picture as well as the larger picture ensures a holistic employee experience not just for new employees, but for all stages of the employee life cycle. Empathy is key. We've all been there. And because we've all been there, organizations have a wealth of experience and case studies to draw on to make positive change.

These suggestions are just a starting point to help set your brand apart from the competition and improve the effectiveness of a more proactive outbound recruiting strategy. Leaders need to make empathy actionable, encouraging and facilitating internal conversations that result in meaningful interventions and best practices.

As the world of work increasingly prioritizes employee experience, an organizational prioritization of employee wellness from beginning to end will make your company worth taking the leap.

Shannon Pritchett is head of community at both hireEZ and Evry1 (which she co-founded in 2021). Prior to joining hireEZ, she served in a variety of recruiting roles and later leveraged her industry experience and expertise to hold leadership positions at Moxy, SourceCon, CareerXroads, and beyond. As a talent acquisition leader, she remains passionate about connecting companies with their most valuable asset — people.

Read more: 

• Hiring during the Great Resignation: It's okay to think outside the box
• Why working parents are quitting their jobs—and how to get them to stay
• How to avoid the Hidden Resignation and maximize employee engagement