Don't ignore cost of switching jobs

Don't ignore cost of switching jobs

There is a new crop of employees on the horizon, and they nearly always have one foot out of the office door.

Meet the "continuous candidate" - mostly people aged from 25 to 34 - for whom every job is temporary and changes are equated with advancement.

These older and more experienced millennials will likely create a churn in the workforce as they flit from job to job, calling for employers to rethink hiring and retention strategies.

On the flip side, how will the habitual job hunters' personal development be affected - for instance, how will they grow their skills and build leadership abilities?

In its survey of close to 4,500 job seekers aged 18 to 65, ManpowerGroup Solutions, part of United States-based human-resource firm ManpowerGroup, found that one in three continually looks for the next job opportunity.

The survey, titled Always Looking: The Rise Of Continuous Candidates, polled working people from five countries, including the United States, China and Australia.

Some 43 per cent felt that every job was temporary and 29 per cent had applied for three to nine jobs in the last six months.

Continuous candidates, it appears, are the new normal.

Employers who are in denial about this phenomenon risk being left behind in the global competition for recruiting and retaining top talent.

However, job switchers must consider staying in a workplace long enough to grow relationships and build leadership skills that they can carry over to their future jobs.

Changing jobs should not come at the cost of professional development.

If you are a manager, for instance, your new role should still allow you to manage and inspire talent.

The ability to lead is crucial given a highly competitive global marketplace.

Whether you are dealing with colleagues halfway across the world or managing project timelines, the knack of mustering and marshalling resources calls for degrees of leadership.

These are the traits to hone.

Make decisions quickly

Photo: Reuters

Some people get bogged down by gathering information, for fear that they may make a mistake.

The best leaders know the balance between fact-gathering and making decisions.

They know that they will never have all the information they need, and that there are times when they have to fill in the gaps based on experience.

So, they make decisions quickly; if there is a fallout, they will fix it.

Know your limits


Photo: Pixabay

Good leaders are self-aware, and have a code of conduct that guide their decisions.

This code also indicates the boundary lines that they are not prepared to cross.

Self-aware leaders know what they are capable of, and vice versa.

Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, emulated the great qualities he saw in the people he met, and checked himself for their not-so-good qualities.

Which leaders do you admire, and why? Your responses provide insights into the areas you can build on to lead well.

No one is an expert at everything. Take the time to reflect on who you are. Communicate the limits you have set for yourself to others, so they can align their expectations to yours.

Have a clear vision

The greatest leaders have a clear - sometimes, powerful - vision, which they articulate to those who can help them realise it.

What is the big picture that's important to you, and who can help you get there?

Think about how to get the buy-in from those people.

During tough times, the best leaders inspire others by staying true to their vision.

Venture outside your comfort zone

Brave leaders are prepared to step outside their comfort zone whenever they have to, even when they are uncomfortable doing so.

They face tough, uncomfortable and unpopular choices daily, and they make these choices because they know it's the right thing to do.

Grow your relationships


Photo: Pixabay

Savvy leaders know that the right network of contacts is invaluable so they invest the time to build and grow it over their career.

They also leverage on their network of contacts to achieve their goals, and they return the favour to those in their network.

This article was contributed by Right Management, the global career experts within United States-listed human-resource consulting firm ManpowerGroup.


Get MyPaper for more stories.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.