THE mere plan to hand over a resignation letter has become a common joke. There is truth behind it, however, whether one pushes through or not with plans to quit. In today's business environment plagued by the great war for talent, statements like this are cause for concern not just for people management and human resources leaders but also for all who share the responsibility of promoting employee engagement and talent retention.

Speaking of truths, here is a tough one to handle: A Gallup study revealed that nearly 50 percent of the US working population is on the hunt for a new job, with businesses seeing a higher number of workers actually quitting their jobs. What is more interesting is that workers across all job categories are looking for new work opportunities at the same rate. The figures are worrisome, with experts calling the phenomenon 'The Great Reshuffle.'