With the gig economy, millennials in the workplace, advancing technology, expanding diversity and multi-generational workforces the world of work is changing and evolving at a faster pace than ever before. The days of a job for life seems but a distant memory.
Job hopping a growing trend
Many industries are increasingly experiencing job hopping which is becoming much more normalised in today’s workplace compared to previous generations, when job hopping was perceived far more negatively. With the rapidly changing nature of the way we now work, employees both demand and have more choice and flexibility in the way they work. Freelancing and other flexible working are now viewed as sustainable careers.
Platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook and online recruitment mean that individuals have an increasing number of ways to look for jobs and to network. These platforms are also changing the way in which organisations recruit.
Do you have concerns about employing a job hopper?
Small and medium sized businesses can really feel the pinch when it comes to recruiting. If you are concerned that an applicant is a job hopper then it is important to understand the reasons a candidate has moved frequently. It could be a desire for advancement and mobility and is not necessarily related to poor performance or loyalty.
Always check references, someone who has moved a lot may still produce great references from their previous employers and this can be better than a single, average reference from someone who has been employed for years by the same employer.
How can an employer manage job hopping talent and still get a return on investment?
Start with recruitment
When you hire someone don’t just hire them for their skills, they need to be a good cultural fit with potential, this will increase their likelihood of long-term engagement.
During the recruitment process ensure you understand a candidate’s motivations and check that they match the opportunities that the role offers. From the outset, be clear and honest about the role you are hiring for. Never mislead a candidate about a role and progression opportunities, this is very damaging and can lead to great talent leaving with negative views of your organisation.
Advertise all job vacancies internally to safeguard transparency and development opportunities within the company. If you identify skills gaps in your business, then you will have to hire externally, or you could consider offering training to a current employee. Employers should always be looking to develop employees throughout their career, ensuring that the business is building skills for the future.
Look at ways to retain employees
“Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” Richard Branson
A lack of opportunity is often cited as the reason for people leaving a company. Identifying key talent and developing an internal progression plan for your organisation is essential to retaining your employees. Many organisations will identify hi-potential (Hi-Po) candidates and invest in training opportunities for them. You need to take a universal approach and design a progression plan for all employees. It shouldn’t solely focus on vertical progression but horizontal opportunities too, investing in new skills across different areas of the business, giving employees an expanded scope of work for progression opportunities.
We now live in an age of immediacy and the technology available to us allows for speedy communication and resolutions. Does your organisation provide platforms where employees can be heard and quickly? Being transparent and enabling your staff to have a voice drives engagement. Employees need to be kept in the loop and to have continuous feedback, gone are the days of an annual appraisal or review.
Communication is key to retaining employees and driving engagement. Organisations that are proactive in identifying issues and resolving them create a better work environment. To identify issues line managers should have regular one-to-ones, the organisation should conduct focus groups, stay interviews, exit interviews and engagement surveys.
Hiring for cultural fit is important and developing a culture that promotes a good work life balance will attract new talent and retain talented employees in this age of the job hopper.
You may also be interested in reading our blog: Attracting and retaining the modern employee