A 2014 CareerBuilder study found that 43% of employers won’t consider a candidate who’s had short tenures with several employers. Why? 74% of those candidates won’t stay with a firm longer than two years. But a firm policy of ruling out all job hoppers isn’t keeping pace with the times.
The American workforce was 36% Millennials at the end of 2014. This percentage will grow to 75% globally by 2025. Millennials value self-discovery through a variety of experiences, and opportunities for skill-building and advancement through changing jobs. Tenure and company loyalty aren’t a part of their lexicon.
Millennial’s choices are grounded in recent economic and corporate history. The very long recession of 2009, layoffs and turnover due to mergers and acquisitions, and movement to follow fast-paced technological change are realities Millennials have taken to heart and pocketbook. They are quick to adapt and have broad skills, but are lacking depth and that elusive but valuable quality of stick-to-it-iveness.
An important check of the job-hopper is to assess their ability to persevere in a difficult situation. A good hire will be able to describe a moment in their prior positions where they had to work through a problem with their associate, their boss, their product or their client. A bad job hopper hire will have left their job, often to avoid making this effort, and will have trouble giving you examples of this necessary experience in one’s work life.
There is even an upswing in reverse discrimination for non-job hoppers. Being too settled and too stable in your career can be viewed as avoiding change, harboring aging technical skills or a lethargy about testing the waters regarding your own compensation.
Career choices after a couple of early, short tenures are critical decisions for your long-term success. Executive Recruiters, Smith Hanley Associates, is here to advise you and assist you in those choices. Contact Jacque Paige at 203-319-4300×227 or jpaige@smithhanley.com.
