When considering a job switch, too many candidates overemphasise what they get on the start date of their new job. For example, the compensation package, their title, location and the company’s global footprint. While all these can have an influence, these alone are all short-term benefits that will become less important six to nine months into the job.
As recruiters, we are finding that people are changing jobs a lot more frequently than was the norm in previous years and, while it may be for seemingly good reasons, one should take into consideration the lasting impact it can have on your family and personal life, on your career and on your physical and mental wellbeing. On the outset the grass may appear greener on the other side (so to say), but this, unfortunately, isn’t always the case. In addition to there being a risk in moving, one needs to take into account the stress of going for interviews and the extra effort and time that will be required from your side to adjust to your new role that you land.
A wiser decision is to focus on how the move will fit into your career goals, what you will be doing and learning, and the people you will be working with. If the job move doesn’t feed into your long-term career plan, you are bound to find that job satisfaction will quickly decline and the negative motivators that you may be experiencing in your current position will start to reappear. This results in a never ending cycle of dissatisfaction, underperformance and a history of job-hopping that can catch up with you as you later try and convince a company to invest in you by hiring you for your dream position.
Here’s a few ways to judge whether a job change is right for you:
1. Being bored. You have been in the position for years, you are not learning anything new and your role no longer challenges or stimulates you. As a result you no longer wake up with the same feeling of excitement as you first had when you started. You understand that communication with management is important in your career plans but, despite putting your hand up to help on projects that interest you and exhaustive conversations with your management and HR department to take on more responsibility, there is still no acknowledgement or indication that things will change now or in the near future. This is a strong motivator to move, because not feeling inspired or excited by what you do can lead to demotivation, poor performance or even worse - prevent you from reaching your true potential.
2. Being overworked. Your work is demanding longer hours than you are willing to commit. Or perhaps you’re working optimally but your work load keeps growing at a rapid pace where no matter how many hours you are putting in, you never feel like you’re getting ahead. This leaves you feeling unaccomplished, stressed and with less and less time to spare for your family. Workplace stress is a very real issue facing South Africa, and it has the potential to severely affect your mental and physical wellbeing which can, of course, have a ripple effect on your work and personal life.
3. Company culture. Each professional has different needs and preferences as far as corporate structure and company culture is concerned. Not all management styles and structures naturally align with various individual’s needs. However, one is expected to show a level of respect, despite the differences, to be accepted and thrive in most work environments. That said, not all company cultures are positive, so if yours strongly goes against your moral and ethical beliefs don’t be scared to move on.
4. Unmatched skills. When accepting your current role you were under the impression that you would be putting the degree that you gained and / or skill that you have developed to more use. In reality, the role now requires only a small percentage of that skills. If this frustrates you and the organisation is unable to adjust your position to better utilise your expertise, this is a strong career motivation to find employment elsewhere.
5. Location issues. Your company has relocated offices to another city or suburb, or you have moved house for whatever reason, making it impossible to commute as required to the new office. You may also be drastically affected by the cost and time you spend now traveling, potentially even spilling over and affecting family responsibilities like doing the school run or collecting your children from aftercare.
6. Salary matters. The company had downscaled and merged roles or your job responsibilities have increased and despite promises from management to review your salary it just hasn’t happened. This is especially true if the company is performing well and you are not being rewarded in other ways.
All the above are good reasons to consider changing jobs. However, I would like to emphasise that having open channels of communication with your superiors will more often than not lead to a resolution to retain you. Companies have become a lot more mindful of retaining good staff because it costs less and overall makes smarter business sense. Make this the first point of call before taking the drastic step of moving jobs.
My advice to all professionals is to think through your decision to change jobs carefully and to try and think with your head, not your heart. Certainly if the decision arose overnight, it is inclined to be a bad one. Never just resign over an angry moment at the workplace. Stay calm and decide to move on when the time is right for you.
Charlotte Coetzee is a Team Manager at ThornTree, a mid-sized supplier of recruitment and placement services across a number of industries and specialisations in sub-Saharan Africa. Her opinions do not necessarily reflect those of IOL.
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