Research conducted by global job site Indeed has shown that “job hopping” has the potential to damage career progression, with just under two thirds (65%) of employers reporting that they have opted not to interview someone who has had short-tenure jobs in the past. Indeed surveyed both employers and employees in Ireland as part of this research.
In seeking to define “job hopping”, on average employers consider 6 months to be a short-tenure to spend in a job, and employees consider 11 months a short period of time. In the minds of most employers, having four short tenure jobs on their CV would qualify a candidate as a job hopper, although 44% feel that three such roles would.
While many employees surveyed agreed that job hopping may be viewed as disloyal, indecisive and a negative by recruiters and employers, only 29% felt that it would ultimately hurt their career, while 57% felt it wouldn’t really have any impact.
A small proportion (14%) felt that moving among various short tenure jobs was a positive for their career, presenting a chance to learn new skills, demonstrate their adaptability, boost their CV, and make connections to further their career.
Job hopping is more of a concern in smaller companies with less than 10 employees, with one in four such employers admitting to not interviewing a candidate for that reason. This compares to fewer than one in seven (13%) in companies with over 500 employees.
When asked what was an acceptable amount of time to stay in a job in order to contribute, gain experience and progress your career, employers and employees shared more common ground, with employers on average agreeing 16 months and employees 19-20 months. On average employers feel it’s acceptable for a candidate to change jobs 3 times in a 5-year period.
Finally, in an effort to understand what causes job hopping, respondents were asked about their reasons for leaving roles after a short period of time. An unhappy workplace is the main reason (4 in 10 respondents), and this proved to be a more significant factor for women (44% compared to 36% of men.) The second most popular reason for leaving a role prematurely was the offer of a better role with another company.
Commenting on the research, Indeed’s VP EMEA, Chris McDonald said, "It's important though that candidates can readily demonstrate the experience they have accrued by job-hopping, such as emotional intelligence to adapt to new environments and personalities, a broader understanding of a variety of sectors, and innovative skills and ideas. This will demonstrate a more strategic approach on the candidate’s side, rather than portraying something more negative such as a lack of commitment."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
