Would you employ a job hopper?

Restless Gen Z

There are many reasons why job-hopping is so prevalent in today's workplace. Research shows little connection between an employee's work history and their future stability. LinkedIn research shows that Generation Z workers born after 1997 were significantly the most restless. There is every chance job-hopping could show that a candidate has ambition and has progressed as far as they can with an organisation. With today's global mobility, employers must begin to accept the many reasons for job-hopping. Historically, employers have seen applicants with lots of short-term employment on their curriculum vitae as unreliable and have therefore shied away from them.

It's time for employers to release their concerns about candidates with a slew of short-term tenures. The research found that Gen Z workers would spend at least two years in a role whilst millennials would stay a mere six months more, Gen X would spend an average of five years in a job and baby boomers would have a considerably longer tenure with an average of eight years of service. Job-hoppers are likely to receive a salary increase of 5.3 per cent, whereas if they stay in their current job, the pay increase is likely to be only 4 per cent.

Understanding job-hoppers

As a recruiter, it's essential to understand why a job-hopper left their previous role; are they an impactful, well-intentioned high performer, or do they function poorly under pressure? A surefire way of accurately assessing the candidate is to take necessary references from each previous employer. Recruiters and future employers will consider the strength of a candidate's curriculum vitae and look for employment gaps. If there are none, it's possible that job-hopping can be revered as a good thing and could mean that employees are in demand in the market. 

While some employers are cautious about hiring job-hoppers, others prefer to see a few jobs on an applicant's curriculum vitae showing that they have worked in various environments and capacities and therefore have a broader range of skills and more adaptability. Those with long tenure positions are often dismissed because employers fear they are unmotivated or resistant to change. 

Hot job market 

Currently, the job market is hot; people are hiring, paying well and giving unprecedented benefits; it's human nature to want to move. However, if significant and regular employment gaps exist, it might show an ongoing and serial exiting pattern tarnishing the employee's reputation, which could be challenging to recover from. It may have been acceptable a few decades ago to expect employees to work for 50 years within an organisation to receive a golden watch, but it's far less accurate today. According to labour statistics, the average US worker stays with their employer for 4.6 years, whilst workers aged up to 34 are half that at 2.3 years. 

Recruiters will always encourage job seekers to decide what they want long-term because job-hopping is relatively short-lived. For those who are ambitious, motivated and get bored quickly, choosing a company with an impressive growth trajectory is essential. Eventually, it will be necessary for professionals to understand their own employment landscape, what was missing in past roles, and what will keep them engaged in future roles for a few years. Job-hoppers often have multiple skill sets across more than one field; employers might find one person has various disciplines such as being a writer, photographer, designer and consultant, which means that a single employee could manage an entire project from start to finish. 

Loyalty concerns

Employers are beginning to change their opinion about job-hoppers; they still have concerns about loyalty and recruiting an employee that will only stay long enough to learn for personal gains and then leave; this can be costly for them. Job-hopping can have various drawbacks, such as loss of annual benefits, vacation time, insurance and retirement income. When candidates job-hop, they start from scratch and have to re-earn these valuable benefits.

Intentional job-hopping

The pandemic years will hold less stigma for any job-hops. Employees will still have to explain their reasons, but they are unlikely to dim long-term employment prospects. Job-hopping syndrome is a description of employees that job-hop without intention. It's crucial if candidates are job-hopping, they move up the career ladder, or the new role is substantially different from the last. Employees might prioritise a salary increase, a better job title or a different set of challenges over the real reason why they are unfulfilled in their role, so they repeat this process and mistakes time and time again.

When applicants attend interviews, they should have professional reasons for job-hopping, how their diverse experiences will benefit the potential new employer, and why the previous roles offered great opportunities such as more money or relocation. Periodically, it's essential to review job-hopping tactics to ensure they are still relevant in the overall career forecast.