Job Hopping

Job hopping may be losing its bad reputation, at least among the youngest generation of U.S. workers, an Accountemps survey suggests. Fifty-seven percent of employees between the ages of 18 and 34 said changing jobs every few years can actually help their career, compared to 38 percent of professionals between the ages of 35 and 54 and 22 percent of those age 55 or older.

There were also differences by gender, with 47 percent of men and 37 percent of women reporting that job hopping is beneficial.

Workers were asked, "Do you think job hopping (leaving your current employer for a new job every few years) can benefit your career?" Their responses:

 View an infographic featuring the research highlights.

"Conventional wisdom about the perils of job hopping has begun to shift, but professionals still need to look carefully before they leap," says Bill Driscoll, a district president with Accountemps. "Changing jobs every three to four years is one thing; more frequent moves could indicate the inability to dig into a role and put employers on guard."

Driscoll adds, "Professionals considering job moves should evaluate not only salary but also where they will have the greatest opportunity to build skills and advance their careers."

Recent surveys suggest that 2015 could be a big year for job turnover

According to a survey by CareerBuilder conducted by Harris Poll from Nov. 4 to Dec. 2, 2014,  30 percent of workers reported they regularly search for job opportunities, even though they’re currently employed, and 16 percent are determined to land a new position in 2015. Among workers ages 18 to 34, 23 percent expect to have a new job by year-end.

“While the majority of workers say they’re satisfied in their jobs, an expanding economy and widespread employment gains are motivating them to consider bigger, better opportunities,” says Rosemary Haefner, VP/human resources at CareerBuilder.

“Skilled workers will have more leverage this year as the competition for labor becomes more intense across a variety of job functions. Employers expect to increase salaries on initial job offers in 2015 and may be more willing to negotiate other perks such as flexible work arrangements.”

Another poll estimates even more potential employee turnover.

Right Management, the global career experts within ManpowerGroup, found that more than 80 percent of North American employees plan to pursue new career opportunities in 2015. When compared to the U.S. turnover rate of 3.5 percent in October (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), the high percentage of individuals planning to seek new career opportunities indicates a workforce that is dissatisfied with their careers. This dissatisfaction tends to negatively impact productivity, and points to the need for organizations to provide more options for career development.

“Our data should serve as a call to action for managers and leaders who want to retain their top talent,” says Bram Lowsky, Right Management EVP/global leader of career management.

“The improving economy brings about a renewed job confidence, which results in increased interest in career mobility. This requires employers to rethink how they motivate and challenge their employees to keep them engaged. Creating a culture of career development is critical for engaging and retaining top talent and preventing them from leaving for the competition. Individuals want to stay when they feel they have opportunities to grow, learn and advance their careers.”

The poll asked: Do you plan to pursue new job opportunities in 2015?

“Although actual turnover rates are much lower, the desire to look for new challenges should serve as a red flag for organizations that want to retain employees,” says Lowsky. “It’s clear, organizations must improve career development options internally so they don’t lose talent.”

Who is Looking?

According to the CareerBuilder survey, the most likely to pursue a job change in 2015 are:

• Career-less: Half (52 percent) of workers feel like they just have a job, not a career. While younger workers ages 18 to 24 are the most likely to report this at 65 percent, more seasoned workers ages 35 to 44 (48 percent), ages 45 to 54 (57 percent) and ages 55+ (54 percent) also share this sentiment. Twenty-four percent of workers who feel like they just have a job plan to find a new employer in 2015.
• Underemployed: 39 percent of workers feel underemployed; 31 percent of these workers plan to change jobs in 2015.
• Undertrained: 22 percent are dissatisfied with training and learning opportunities in their firms; 35 percent of these workers plan to change jobs in 2015.
• Overlooked: 23 percent feel overlooked for a promotion in their current job; 31 percent of these workers plan to change jobs in 2015.
• Immobile: 26 percent are dissatisfied with career advancement opportunities in their firms; 37 percent of these workers plan to change jobs in 2015.
• Underpaid: 41 percent didn’t receive a pay increase in 2014; 22 percent of these workers plan to change jobs in 2015.
• Mismanaged: 31 percent rate their boss’ performance as poor or fair; 27 percent of these workers plan to change jobs in 2015.
• Imbalanced: 17 percent are dissatisfied with their work/life balance; 33 percent of these workers plan to change jobs in 2015.

What Job Seekers Want

While competitive pay is top of mind for workers looking to make a change, there are certain job factors that workers feel are more important than salary when considering a position, says CareerBuilder:

• job stability – 65 percent;
• location – 57 percent;
• affordable benefits – 55 percent;
• good work culture – 46 percent;
• flexible schedules – 40 percent; and
• career advancement opportunities – 39 percent.

When asked if they could choose extra perks to make their workplace more satisfying, the most popular choices workers in the CareerBuilder survey pointed to included:

• half-day Fridays – 40 percent;
• on-site fitness center – 22 percent;
• daily catered lunches – 21 percent;
• massages – 16 percent; and
• being able to wear jeans – 15 percent.