Job Jumping: Why Employees Do it and How to Avoid It

Job Jumping.

Someone gets a job and is immediately on the look out for the next best thing. Resumes are created from day one and the present employer is just added to a growing list on an employee's CV. Company loyalty is practically non-existent, and a better offer – either in the form of a premium paycheck, career advancement or company perks – are immediately looked for elsewhere.

Who are the biggest proponents of job jumping? Millennials. Those employees who were born somewhere between the very late '70's and late '90's. According to a Future Workplace survey of almost 2,000 employees nationwide and 150 managers, over 91 percent of Millennials don't plan on spending time working for a company for more than one to three years. If you do the math, that means that most Millennials will be working for more than 15 to 20 different companies in their lifetime.

Why do Millennials do this? What's with all the job jumping? In truth, it is a reaction to the business world they have seen since they were kids. When dad gets laid off routinely or mom gets fired six months before she will retire with a full pension, when the news constantly talks about how social security will be dead and gone by the time most Millennials retire... well, to be blunt, most Millennials are jaded. They understand that the business world is now more of a dog-eat-dog environment than ever. Why be loyal to a company that isn't going to be loyal to you? Why not look out for your own best interests by looking for the next best thing as soon as possible?

And so it goes.

So what are the pros of all this job jumping? From an employee standpoint, the benefits are in ever-increasing wages, benefits and perks... or so it may seem. (We'll get back to that.) From an employer standpoint, it means that if you operate a well run company that caters to high quality employees, then you should have plenty to choose from... or so it may seem. (Again, we'll get back to that.)

The truth is, however, though employees may think that job jumping is benefiting them, it may only be benefiting mediocre employers.

Why is that?

For one, a multitude of jobs on a resume is a definite red flag for a quality employer. The idea that a potential employee – no matter their ability, education, etc. - will jump ship in months for what they perceive as “the next best thing,” will make a quality employer shake their head and move on to the next applicant. In the process, job jumping employees are actually isolating themselves from the very thing they are trying to achieve: the best job with the best employer.

The same is true for employers. Yes, a company may have a large cadre of employees to choose from – though current job market reports actually indicate the opposite – what they'll actually get are employees that will 'jump ship' at the first sign of something better. The downside to this is the cost of training a continuous influx of new employees. The cost of establishing, training, and getting an employee in place to fully understand their tasks and expectations can be costly to a business, and to do it over and over again can take an unfortunate toll.

So, if job jumping is essentially bad for both employee and employers, how do both break the cycle?

First off, employees, especially Millennials, need to understand the detriments of job jumping. The key is to take the time to find a great employer before applying. Once hired, employees need to understand the value in sticking with a solid company for a considerable duration. What type of company should they be looking for? Clearly, one that suits their interests first and foremost, but also a company that rewards performance based on merit instead of tenure, one that offers a wide range of flexibility and benefits, and one that will challenge them both personally and professionally so that they don't become stagnant.

What can employers do to break the cycle of job jumping? A great example would be a company based out of Sauk City, Wisconsin, called Straight Forward. Straight Forward is a call center service for businesses, offering inbound and outbound capabilities, as well as consulting services. The company has several locations throughout Wisconsin, and they've made a point of making sure their employees – most of which are Millennials - are valued, treated with respect and richly rewarded for their efforts. Taking the time to offer a variety of challenges to their workers, allowing them to be promoted based on merit, and offering them flexibility in both scheduling and work load makes employees at Straight Forward feel that they are working for a company that they can see themselves with for the long haul.

Employees would do well to look for a company like Straight Forward. Believe it or not, Millennials, there are fantastic employers out there that are worth sticking with for a while. Though it may take a bit of looking and a bit of research, in the long run, being loyal to a strong company is much more beneficial than job jumping every few months or years. Employers would do well to mirror a company like Straight Forward. Offering Millennials what they want is essential to stave off job jumping.