The Great Resignation and your PMO

If you’ve been following the news recently, you may have heard of ‘The Great Resignation’. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021 out of 68.9 million separations in 2021, 47.4 million jobs were left voluntarily.

It appears that following the coronavirus pandemic, employees are re-evaluating their requirements in the wake of a new working culture. There are a number of factors behind this – increasing amounts of workers are calling for reduced hours, greater flexibility, greater professional development and the opportunity to work from home. Employees are calling for better wages, better hours and better benefits, and are in a powerful bargaining position.

This is allowing for employers to undertake what can be considered as ‘The Great Upgrade’! We can see this as a fantastic opportunity to make our workplaces a better place for all employees, reduce burnout, and improve morale.

So where to start?

Reseach suggests that a great way to improve employee retention, improve organisational trust and boost moral is training. Investing in employee training demonstrates a clear interest in the professional development of workers, as well allowing them to develop their skills. It has been found that:

Training makes employees feel they are supported and trust the employer. Hence, training is positively related to trust in management and reduces employee turnover.

(Chen, 2014)

Training is vital for those at all levels of the organisation – for those new to the PMO, training can provide a fantastic opportunity to develop a solid understanding of the role, through certifications such as the Essentials for PMO Administrators course. Training can also allow for new starters to gain knowledge of best practice, through qualifications such as that of PRINCE2® or P3O®. Having a certification to showcase on your CV can also be a fantastic confidence booster for less experienced practitioners.

For employees who are further established in their PMO career, as an organisation we should be looking to expand and support their further development. This may come in the form of completing certification suites such as P3O®, or taking the time to develop more specialist skillsets, such as Benefits Management, PMO Leadership, or specific certification training such as MoP® or MoR®.

Another great way to boost morale and aid team development is bringing training in-house, which is often the most cost-effective way to train the whole team. You can tailor the training to meet the specific needs of your team. This level of adaptation to the personal needs of your PMO and organisation really allows you to develop your team based on your own approaches, techniques, processes, procedures and organisational objectives. Using your own organisation as the basis for case studies can be hugely beneficial for understanding PMO terms and concepts in a more specific and relatable context. If you’re looking to bring any of our courses in-house, or are looking for completely bespoke training options, get in touch here!

What about those who are looking to take part in the great resignation and explore different employment opportunities?

PMO CV DevelopmentThe first place to start should be your CV – is it up-to-date with any training you have completed, any new responsibilities you have taken on, any projects of interest and any promotions or role changes? You will also need to make sure that your skills and experience are demonstrated throughout, to help you target the correct type and level of PMO. Here at PMO Learning, we have our CV Development for PMO Professionals distance-learning course to help get your CV noticed for all the right reasons. You can read more about our CV Development course here.

For those in organisations reluctant to invest in professional development, often a more affordable and time flexible training option that you may be able to self-fund is eLearning. eLearning allows you to learn at your own pace, without having to take time off to complete training. eLearning is a great option to complete certification training from the comfort of your own home, and fuel your own personal development. At PMO Learning, we offer a variety of PPM training as a reseller of Aspire Europe, as well as our P3O® Foundation eLearning.

If you’re not sure where to start in progressing in your professional development, completing a self-assessment is an ideal place to start. The PMO Competency Framework is ideal for devising your own plan for development, aided by the framework which can give you practical advice, act as a point of reference, and help you fill your PMO skills gap.

The P3O® courses on this page are offered by PMO Learning. P3O® is a [registered] trade mark of AXELOS Limited. P3O® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.

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