As sure as the sun rises every day, young men and women in serious pursuit of their professional careers will switch jobs at one point in time. We’ve always assumed that the reason for this is that they’re either angling for a bigger pay or that they can’t work with a boss who’s got the working ethics of a torture chamber headman. We’re wrong on both assumptions.
What The Latest Research Says
In a survey of more than ten thousand (10,000) people who just switched jobs, the number one reason they cited is for career advancement. They felt that their careers were at a dead end and resigned for one that had opportunities for growth.
In a nutshell, here’s how the true picture looks like in relation to the reasons why people switched jobs;
Lack of opportunities for advancement: 45%
Not happy with the leadership of senior management: 41%
Unsatisfied with work environment/culture: 36%
Work not too challenging: 36%
Not happy with the compensation scheme: 34%
Unsatisfied with rewards/recognition (for contribution): 32%
Benefits Of These Findings
If you’re one of the managers involved in recruiting and hiring of people looking for jobs, the foregoing data is important. It sort of gives you an idea of what you can do to entice a candidate to leave his/her company without point a gun to his head. In short, you have got to sell him the future, not just the job and the perks that go along with it but where the job can take him.
On the other hand, if you’re head of HR, you can use a lesson or two from this information and that’s … to keep top-performing employees, know that those fat paychecks aren’t enough. You’ve got to ensure they’re being challenged and provided with real opportunities to advance their professional careers.
English (Australia)