"Make sure you stay with your current employer for at least two years," you often hear popularly said.
Is this true? And what do you do if you realize after six months that your job is not what you expected it to be?
It happened to Wouter who recently presented this in our online mastermind group, a closed group for our clients, where they can ask their questions, share successes, make use of each other's network: "How do you deal with questions from recruiters when you're looking for other work after 6 months and want to leave a job that on paper has everything you were looking for? A job that in reality doesn't give you any energy and only costs you energy?"
Our advice:
- Feel if it is worthwhile to first address internally what is faltering for you and what you need to make it work.
- When you do go to apply, be sure to bring your career passport Emc2 and show that the current job and/or environment does not energize you and then immediately link it to the job and environment you do apply for. The match will immediately become clear (if there is a match :-))
- Appoint for yourself in advance what you don't like about your current job and work environment, turn this 180 degrees and check that these elements are definitely listed in your career passport. After all, knowing what you don't want makes it very clear what you do want.
- In the conversation, don't focus on the negative, on what you don't want but turn everything positive. Eg 'I can't stand dishonesty' versus 'honesty is very important to me'. Everything that gets attention grows and you don't want to be associated with dishonesty. Our brain does not know the word 'not'. Consider the example 'Don't think of a pink elephant'. Immediately you see it in front of you ...
- A job and an environment that 'fits' are win-win for both employee and employer. You have energy, are engaged and this has a positive effect on your other areas of life, customers and colleagues feel this and you are more productive ... If it doesn't 'fit', bring it up. There is no point in fooling each other. The 'price' paid by both parties is too high.
Mentality change among employees and employers
Our rapidly changing economy is causing a shift in attitudes among both employees and employers. Several short job episodes on a job candidate's resume are less and less of a problem for companies, and the two-year rule seems less and less relevant. Employees are changing jobs because they want to connect with the life and career stage they are in.
Mobility also offers benefits
Mobility (both within and between organizations) can provide some important benefits. It offers a greater variety of learning experiences in which different skills are developed each time. It is also a great opportunity to try out different career paths and build a solid network.
Does job hopping make employees less loyal?
Both employee and employer bear the responsibility to consider what is needed to create and maintain a sustainable win-win. After all, jobs have an expiration date. Research shows that active "job-hunting" increases the likelihood that employees will effectively change jobs and that the best workers also tend to receive the best external offers. Therefore, it is crucial to leave room for open and honest communication about employees' expectations about the duration and nature of their partnership. The career passport can help smooth this conversation.
We live in a small world
If employees do decide to leave, the door need not remain closed permanently. On the contrary, organizations have an interest in employees leaving the company in good standing.
Thus, more and more organizations are aligning their HR strategy with increased employee mobility and even providing programs to recruit returning staff members.
What about you?