job hopper.
what is a job hopper?
A job hopper is anyone who changes jobs frequently. Most employees switch jobs every now and then, but job hoppers regularly move jobs every 6-18 months. Although this practice was frowned upon a few decades ago, job hopping is becoming mainstream as it offers compelling benefits.
why are some people job hoppers?
Here are some common reasons why employees job hop:
- They earn more money
- There are more opportunities for career advancements
- They build more relationships and connections
- They take part in better work environments
- Changing locations is easy
- They are looking for career opportunities that their current employer doesn’t provide
- They adapt and learn about a business quickly and are looking to learn new skills
they earn more money
Research shows that employees who move jobs earn more than their peers who stay at a single firm for a long time.
This is because raises from within an organisation require multiple years. But if someone is constantly looking for new opportunities, they might find another company that pays 50% more than what they currently earn. To earn this with raises and promotions, an employee must stay at an organisation for at least ten years’ and in some cases more often than that. Standard pay rises in an organisation are between 3 and 10% and the upper end is only usually included in a promotion or in times of severe economic hardship and high inflation. The reality is that even private companies don’t often increase pay much more than 5% very often, even more so when you are earning a larger salary.
If you want to avoid this problem at your organisation, make it known that hard work is appreciated and going the extra mile will result in career and salary progression.
there are more opportunities for career advancements
Searching for new opportunities also allows job hoppers to find higher-ranking jobs. This is almost like a shortcut to getting a promotion. Instead of working for several years to land a management role, job hoppers are more likely to apply for their dream role at another company.
This is why you always want to be transparent with your employees. Ask about their long-term goals and give them the training and opportunity to reach these goals.
they build more relationships and connections
By switching jobs, people also meet new professionals and build connections. While job hoppers can build relationships at several companies over their career, those with a more traditional career path may only make connections with a handful of people.
they take part in better work environments
One of the biggest problems employees face is bad management. It hampers every aspect of work life, from productivity to creativity and engagement. Bad management can even harm an employee’s mental health, causing issues like stress, anxiety, and depression.
But if someone is committed to changing jobs regularly, they can leave toxic work environments in search of something better.
To get started on fixing this we would suggest conducting interviews with employees, asking questions that’ll help you improve your management process. Find out from your leavers, why they are going. This can be conducted during the exit interview process. Most importantly you need to reflect on this feedback and implement the necessary changes. If you don’t fix the problems, you will continue to experience high employee churn.
changing locations is easy
Although the pandemic has made this a little harder, job hopping can help a person move to a new city or country if they’re looking to relocate. Some employers may offer financial support to help them move.
what are the drawbacks of job hopping?
Not everything about job hopping is positive. Here are some of the disadvantages job hoppers face:
- It's harder for them to find a job
- They may find that there is more interest in them for contract roles, over permanent employment
- They don’t stay long enough to experience business cycles in a company, and how to adapt to a cycle stage
- It promotes job dissatisfaction and makes it harder for a candidate to settle in a company
it's harder to find a job
Many recruiters may reject an application if they see the applicant changes jobs regularly. They view the applicant as too risky to invest time and effort into. They may be concerned about their job stability. You might even use this practice at your organisation. This makes it significantly harder for job hoppers to find employment. You might take a chance on them, but senior management may take more convincing to sign off on the hire, or reject them on this basis.
they don’t experience enough stages of a business cycle
Job hoppers gain inconsistent job experience and miss out on experiencing how a business may adapt to certain stages of a business cycle. This can mean that they aren’t able to be as strategically minded and their career progression becomes limited as they are seen as less suitable for more senior roles. They might hit a career ceiling.
it promotes job dissatisfaction
Job hopping can come about from an employee becoming disillusioned in a role. Instead of dealing with a problem at work, job hoppers quit and find a job elsewhere. They rarely learn how to deal with work-related challenges and the constant need to change roles, to earn more money, learn new skills or get away from a work issue can lead to them being unsettled. This can impact mental health and confidence.
onboarding made easy with hireful.
A big reason why employees leave jobs after a few months is due to a poor onboarding process, induction to the business and low employee engagement. This lowers employee morale and confidence within your organisation, leading to reduced productivity and missed revenue targets.
Believe it or not, the vast majority of employees don’t want to job hop. They want satisfaction and engagement in their current position. They want to feel remunerated for the skills that they have, the potential that they show and to have a clear path of career progression with learning and development support. If they aren’t getting that at your organisation, you’ll see it in your employee retention figures.
To avoid this and improve hiring processes, consider an applicant tracking system like hireful. It makes the hiring and onboarding process super easy, it gives you access to enhanced insightful data and information around your recruitment performance, helping you save thousands in the long run. Get in touch here for a free demo of our ATS today!
