Great Resignation

The Great Resignation is more than an HR buzzword. It’s a global symptom of how work, meaning, and brands are being renegotiated. Millions of resignations, triggered by the pandemic, the remote-work revolution, and shifting values, have shown: if you want to retain talent today, you need to offer more than a salary.

For companies and brand leadership, this isn’t a risk, but a magnifying glass. Where culture, purpose, and brand strategy remain vague, resignation numbers rise. Where identity, trust, and differentiation are clearly lived, commitment grows. The Great Resignation forces companies to think about the brand not only externally, but internally.

What does the Great Resignation mean?

The “Great Resignation” refers to the global wave of resignations that became visible from 2021 onwards, especially in the US and later in Europe. Millions of employees voluntarily quit their jobs. It wasn’t an isolated HR phenomenon, but a cultural shift: work was reassessed. Topics like meaning, flexibility, working from home, and quality of life suddenly ranked higher than status or salary.

Examples of Good Brands

Some brands show exemplarily how “good” works:

• Patagonia – sustainability as brand DNA, not as a campaign.
• Apple – simplicity, design, and community as a brand experience.
• Oatly – bold communication that clearly stages its attitude.

These examples make it clear: Good Brands emerge when values and actions align. That creates authenticity – the foundation of modern brand development.

Causes of the Great Resignation

Behind the term is more than a passing mood in the labor market. Key drivers include:

• Shifting values: Many employees today want purpose instead of just a paycheck.
• New ways of working: Remote work has fundamentally changed expectations around flexibility.
• Burnout & strain: The pandemic, increased workloads, and a lack of appreciation led to frustration.
• Mismatch between culture & brand: Companies that don’t live their values lose talent faster.

Examples from practice

Tech industry (USA): Google & co. had to invest heavily in retention programs to keep talent.

Healthcare: Nurses resigned in droves because the overload and lack of recognition became too great.

Smaller brands: Those that cultivated a strong culture and identity benefited from people willing to switch – and won top talent.

Strategies for brand leadership

The Great Resignation shows: brand leadership doesn’t end at the market, it starts inside the company. Successful strategies include:

1. Strengthen employer branding – The brand must be attractive on the inside as well as the outside.

2. Live purpose clearly – Employees stay when they feel part of something meaningful.

3. Make culture visible – Transparency, appreciation, and clear communication are crucial.

4. Offer flexibility – Remote, hybrid, work-life balance are no longer benefits, but the standard.

5. Use the brand as an anchor – A clear brand strategy creates orientation, belonging, and loyalty.

💡 You can find more in our content pillars:
👉 Brand strategy – how identity and purpose retain talent
👉 Brand design – how culture becomes tangible visually
👉 Brand interaction – how internal communication builds trust

Conclusion:

The Great Resignation is not a short-lived trend, but a wake-up call. It shows how closely work culture, brand leadership, and employee retention are intertwined. Those who think about their brand only externally lose substance internally. Those who consistently integrate identity, values, and culture into the brand gain loyalty – from customers and employees alike.

The key takeaway: a brand is not only a promise to the market, but also to the people who bring it to life every day.

👉 Dive deeper into the topic here:

• Brand interaction – how communication strengthens loyalty
• Brand strategy – clear identity for retention and differentiation
• Brand design – how culture becomes visually experienceable