The phenomenon known as the Great Quit has not reached the same magnitude in Spain as in the United States. Even so, as data from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration shows, in 2022 there were more than 70,000 workers who resigned from their jobs in Spain, and in the first half of 2023, more than one million permanent employees have resigned. This trend can no longer solely be attributed to the effects of the pandemic, but to other factors such as the high employment rate, the transformation of work models and the struggle to attract talent which is becoming increasingly scarce in sectors such as technology. What can companies do to build employee loyalty and engagement? The answer lies in boosting internal communication by taking these key factors into account.
A job with purpose and values
A company’s mission, vision and values are not just content that looks good on the website or in the corporate presentation. If we look at the best companies to work for in 2022, most are companies that stand out for their leadership, global reach, disruptiveness and Corporate Social Responsibility. The most sought-after professionals have these attributes in mind when accepting a job.
Work-life balance and teleworking, non-negotiables
After salary, the aspects most valued by workers when choosing a company are work-life balance and working from home. Flexible working hours and the possibility of working from home on certain days are already part of everyday life in the most competitive companies. Contrary to the fears of some employers, if done well, it increases productivity. However, without a human resources strategy that takes care of the employee and takes into account their needs, the best talent will inevitably leave and go and work for the competition.

The importance of the onboarding
Did you know that one in four new employees leave within the first 45 days on the job? Companies invest a lot of time and effort in the recruitment process, but often neglect onboarding. Having a comprehensive welcome plan, onboarding support materials, the support of a mentor and a process for measuring new employee satisfaction helps with onboarding. Once this initial phase has passed, the person should continue to be accompanied and guided on a regular basis through one-to-one meetings.
Internal communications tools
Internal communication is often a negelected area in most companies. It is not enough to send a message to the entire company when there is news or a new employee joins the company. There are other internal communication tools that are relatively simple to implement and highly effective, such as: newsletters or corporate magazines, message boards (physical or virtual), suggestion boxes, intranets or social networks for internal use and repositories of manuals and other documents.
More horizontal organizations
Succession-type organisations, led by a top management that is inaccessible to the rest of the employees, have proven to be more rigid, hermetic and unattractive. Flatter organisational structures in which barriers between managers and employees are reduced usually results in each worker having some autonomy to work towards objectives. Communication is also more fluid in these horizontal structures, especially when an effort is made to humanise executives and bring them closer to the rest of the team.
Active listening and reporting channels
Even though employees may seem satisfied, you never know when a crisis.. Practising active listening and providing open channels of communication helps to detect problems that are not reaching management, such as bullying or burnout.
Having dedicated channels, such as confidential mailboxes or externally managed telephones, is not only mandatory to comply with regulations such as the Whistleblower Protection Act, but also provides an escape valve to prevent internal crises.
The post-pandemic has shown that virtual tools are useful, but cannot replace face-to-face interaction. That is why, now that it is increasingly common to work in teams distributed in different cities or countries, company events have become so important. They allow us to put faces to the names, forge personal relationships and create links that reinforce the feeling of belonging to an organisation with a human face.
The rise of project-based work
Forbes recently reported on the phenomenon of project work. A new generation of professionals whose CVs are no longer based on the companies they have worked for, but on the projects they have been involved in. When they finish one, they take a sabbatical until they find another interesting challenge. This completely transforms the relationship between companies and professionals, who become collaborators with the ability to deal (and negotiate) on a one-to-one basis with their employers. This phenomenon will grow hand in hand with PBL (project-based learning), which is already on the rise in schools, in primary and secondary education.
Does your company need internal communication to avoid talent drain? Let’s talk…

Milena Ivanovic is Account Director en Canela