![](\"http:\/\/squarehr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/why-the-job-hopper-candidate-may-be-your-best-hire.png\")
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Have you considered hiring the job hopper candidate? If not,
\nyou might be missing out.<\/p>\n
The business world has changed, and it\u2019s time to reconsider
\nestablished norms about hiring. Simply put, job loyalty no longer trumps other
\nqualifications that make good employees.<\/p>\n
Decades ago, staying with one employer for the life of your career was smart business sense. Keeping your head down and working hard got you ahead in your career and allowed you to retire fully vested in the company\u2019s pension plan \u2013 which most companies provided.<\/p>\n
Baby boomers embraced that formula until economic changes resulted in numerous layoffs and multiple career changes before retirement age. And company pension plans seemed to go the way of the dodo for most American workers.<\/p>\n
Today, whether we like it or not, job hopping is the norm in American business. Workers ages 25 to 34 only stay in their jobs for 2.8 years on average, according to a 2018 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n The ideals of the modern employee haven\u2019t changed from The only difference is the means through which those goals are achieved. Unlike their fathers and grandfathers, today\u2019s employees are willing and able to jump from employer to employer to further their career<\/a> in a shorter time frame.<\/p>\n The job market today offers more opportunities than ever before. Employees likely hope that their next position will work out for the long-term, but the reality is that other options exist if it doesn\u2019t. They don\u2019t have to miserably commit to a company they dislike when they can easily move to a new job. Chances are it will pay better, too.<\/p>\n Salary issues are a powerful motivation. Upward mobility means more money.<\/p>\n Employees plugging along with one company usually see standard salary increases<\/a> of about three to five percent yearly. If they move, however, they can see a salary increase of 10 percent or more immediately \u2013 something most companies can\u2019t offer internally. <\/p>\n No formula exists to calculate the ideal tenure to achieve before moving. If a good opportunity is presented, there\u2019s no reason for employees not to act on it and leave for greener pastures.<\/p>\n Good employees, regardless of tenure, hope to extract knowledge from their employers and coworkers<\/a>, while helping add value to the company. It\u2019s a quid pro quo arrangement; the company helps you learn the industry and improve your skills, and you use those skills and that knowledge to help the company achieve its goals.<\/p>\n For many employees, once they feel their growth potential has peaked, they choose to leave and replicate that process at another company. <\/p>\n For employers who understand this relationship, you have the benefit of hiring a well-rounded, versatile employee who brings the accrued knowledge of multiple companies.<\/p>\n Everyone wants to be happy where they work. Maybe your job If an employee is unhappy with the culture they\u2019re in, they may be inclined to leave. They might consider it easier to find a company culture that aligns with their ideals and goals<\/a> than to stay, be unhappy and hope the undesirable culture will change.<\/p>\n A driven job hopper who has grown continually or accomplished their goals<\/a> with each employer can be your company\u2019s Swiss army knife.<\/p>\n The process for vetting job hoppers is similar to that for Job hoppers bring an assortment of skills, viewpoints and experiences accumulated from several companies, offering the fresh perspective you might need to solve a problem or improve processes. <\/p>\n Have the candidate tell you about a time when they used It\u2019s likely that their diverse experiences have exposed them Ask them to compare their experiences at previous employers, To some degree, job hoppers are comfortable with change. Today\u2019s Does your company offer the right opportunities to let this individual grow and flourish in their role? Find out what challenge the candidate is looking to conquer, or what skill set they wish to master. <\/p>\n Strong answers to these and similar questions<\/a> should offer insight into how beneficial switching between companies often has been.<\/p>\n Find out why your candidate is hopping from job to job. <\/p>\n If they constantly switch jobs because the work isn\u2019t interesting, pin a red flag on their resume. Work isn\u2019t always fun, and if someone continually hops jobs because work doesn\u2019t hold their interest, they may need more than a change of company. They probably need to consider changing the type of work they do.<\/p>\n Conflict is an area of major concern also. If your candidate regularly points to someone else as the cause of issues, particularly in multiple jobs, acknowledge that the common denominator is your candidate. You don\u2019t want employees who stir up trouble with coworkers or refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.<\/p>\n Other red flags can be job moves that make no sense, like moving before another job is lined up or gaps in their resume. Changing jobs every few months, not every few years, may be a sign that this isn\u2019t the candidate you want<\/a> on your team. Candidates who claim to have left a job because \u201cwe agreed to part ways\u201d may signal that they were fired or didn\u2019t achieve required job goals. <\/p>\n Dig deeper for answers. There may be a problem, or you may find that the reason for hopping jobs is valid, acceptable and actually instills additional confidence in the candidate.<\/p>\n In the sales world, for instance, a low sales goal that an employee didn\u2019t achieve is very different from a high sales goal that wasn\u2019t met. An employment gap may have occurred because the employee took time off to care for a child or aging parent.<\/p>\n Red flags shouldn\u2019t necessarily cause you to dismiss a candidate. Use them to gain further insight. And don\u2019t dismiss the job hopper with something to prove. If you offer them the chance, they may work harder to earn your loyalty and become one of your best employees.<\/a><\/p>\n Recognize that the business world has changed. Many candidates today are likely job hoppers. You must adapt and move with the market.<\/p>\n Give qualified job-hopping candidates the same opportunity you\u2019d give other candidates to become successful. Look for qualities in every candidate, including job hoppers, like a solid work ethic, integrity and honesty. <\/p>\n All candidates grow older, meaning that company culture, work-life balance and benefits like health insurance and retirement plans<\/a> will become more important to them over the years. And those considerations are likely help them see the value of being a tenured employee.<\/p>\n Remember that any job hopper candidate may decide that your To read more about managing employees and job retention, download From hire to retire: A guide to retaining your best employees.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nprevious generations. The desire to be appreciated for utilizing and improving
\none\u2019s skills is relatively universal. The goal of improving your professional
\nmarketability is not a new one. <\/p>\nWhy do people job hop?<\/h2>\n
1. Salary and incentives<\/h2>\n
2. Growth potential<\/h2>\n
3. Culture<\/h2>\n
\nhopper candidate is seeking the work environment that will turn him or her into
\na tenured employee. <\/p>\nWhat can job hoppers offer your company?<\/h2>\n
\nother candidates. The key is to focus on those job-hopper traits to uncover
\nwhat differentiates this individual from others. <\/p>\n
\ntheir experiences to enact meaningful change to the status quo. Then ask for a
\nsecond, or even a third example. Does the candidate have a one-off story, or
\nare they consistently leveraging their knowledge to refine processes?<\/p>\n
\nto both positive and negative business practices that will inform how they
\napproach their new role.<\/p>\n
\nand challenge them to think critically about what those stints taught them.
\nWhat business lessons did they learn, and how can they apply those to this
\nrole, if you were to hire them? <\/p>\n
\njob market requires employees to be agile, to learn continuously and to evolve
\nconstantly. <\/p>\nWhat red flags should you watch out for?<\/h2>\n
What are the takeaways?<\/h2>\n
\ncompany is where they want to be for the long-term. It\u2019s important for all employers to have a
\ngood employee retention strategy in place. Once you get talented job hoppers in
\nthe right jobs, just like any employee, you want to keep them there.<\/p>\n