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Recruiters Reveal What They Really Think Of Job Hoppers
Hiring managers spend a lot of time and money training new hirees, so they rarely want to take a chance on people who change jobs frequently.
But as workplace culture evolves, and Millennials are more apt to move from one opportunity to the next, are recruiters starting to look past the stigma long associated with job hopping?
"People do seem to be jumping around more these days, but I don’t know how much of that is generational versus something related to the economy or a start-up culture," Randy Duax, managing director at The Howard-Sloan-Koller Group — a recruiting firm specializing in media, advertising and entertainment — tells us.
"Instagram was acquired after less than two years, you know? How many companies exist solely because of the iPhone, which is only five years old? Companies and people need to adapt more than ever, and I think the durations people stay somewhere can be a byproduct of this."
Duax says that how long someone stays at a company shouldn't be a major concern. Instead, hiring managers should focus on performance in each of the positions the candidate's been in.
"If the reasons someone made a move makes sense, then it’s not that much of an issue. Better opportunity, better company, more responsibility," the recruiter says.
But Richard Dukas, CEO of Dukas Public Relations — a financial PR firm — says that it's a "huge red flag" if someone's resume shows that they've been at several companies in less than a year.
"If it's something that happened only once, I'll likely dismiss it, but if they've been around for five or six years and they've had five or six jobs, I don't really want them at my company," he tells us.
And Dukas says the startup culture has nothing to do with people job hopping. Instead, he says that people jump around because they're "looking to find the perfect career — they're looking for challenge and stimulation."
He says that people can job hop, but be cautious of why you're doing it.
"If you're going to go for another opportunity, do it for the right reasons and don't do it too often. Do it because you're still looking for the right career for yourself, your calling, your niche, but don't do it because you're trying to climb the corporate ladder."
If you're constantly changing jobs because you're offered a better title or more money, it'll become obvious to hiring managers and you'll likely be disqualified immediately.
Instead, you should try to discuss these issues with your manager before leaving for greener pastures, because "jumping around for the wrong reason is problematic."
"The reason why you're with your company is because they like you. They know that there are a bunch of other places you can work at, that headhunters are calling you and that you're comparing salaries with your peers."
The bottom line is that while the current workplace culture makes job hopping more common, consider all of your options before making a decision. Sylvia Cochran at Bright Hub says: "While there are a few good reasons that make frequent job changes understandable, there are far more reasons why it is a serious liability."
Now read 11 things you should never put on your resume >
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