I recently completed a fascinating qualitative study using MAXQDA for content analysis. The study aimed to investigate how people's experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic affected their employer choices. My client was a recruitment consultant who helps organizations in the UK to recruit and retain employees, commissioned the research to understand the changing attitudes and behaviours of employees towards traditional organizational policies.
For this study, she conducted interviews with professionals from various fields, including education, healthcare, banking, government, technology, and manufacturing, across different age groups and experience levels. Respondents shared their coping strategies during the pandemic, which ranged from managing work from home, learning new skills, and finding new jobs, to dealing with long layoffs. They all agreed on the importance of job security, health benefits, and organizational support during difficult times, with job security being the top priority for most respondents.
The study concluded with strategic guidelines for organizations to hire and retain top talent, develop economic viability, and ensure business continuity during a crisis without losing employees.