It used to be that employees would stay at jobs for years and years and years and then they’d die. Or retire. Or whatever came first.
But today, that’s not the case.
Studies have shown that on average, Generation Y workers are staying at jobs for about 18 months. Then, they’re leaving. Because it’s so expensive, the cost of turnover is something that’s really making employers nervous. I, however, don’t think it’s a bad thing. On the contrary, I think it’s wonderful that workers these days want to experience new things and expand their skill sets.
When it comes to Generation Y and turnover, there are a few questions that need to be addressed:
1. Why does this happen?
This new generation of workers grew up with more options than ever before. We’ve lived with technology our whole lives and that has contributed to our awareness of all of our options. There’s zero appeal in doing the same thing for the rest of our lives because we want to experience so much. There’s too much to do, too much to see, and we don’t want to be stuck doing any ONE thing, forever.
In addition to this is the fact that our interests are changing. By the time we enter the workforce and hold our first real jobs, our interests are much different than the interests we had when we first entered college. And that’s the problem. From as early as pre-school, people are asking us to decide what we want to do with the rest of our lives. I’m really sorry, but in pre-school, the only profession I could see myself going into is that of being a princess. But as we grow up, our interests change. ALOT.
For example…
I used to hate eating.
Now, this is me…
Also, I used to hate boys.
Today, not so much.
My brother is one of my favorite people.
And this is the love of my life…
Okay, but really, our interests do change. When I first started college, I thought I’d be a Physical Therapist. Then, I got a degree in Health Services Administration, figuring I’d be a hospital executive one day. Today, I can see myself doing a lot of different things. I’ve learned through the past couple of years that I’m passionate about teaching. I’m passionate about leadership and helping people make the best out of the workplace. I’d like to one day write a book. I would love to work in a non-profit some day. I’d love to be a college counselor.
Point is, we only figure out what we like and what we don’t like through time and experience. We shouldn’t be expected to know what our dream job is upon entering the workplace. We shouldn’t be forced to stick to any one job for years and years and years especially if it’s not the best fit for us. Generation Y wants work that engages us and that allows us to explore our different interests using the talents that we have. This is not a bad thing.
2. What can we do about this?
Without a doubt, it’s in a company’s best interest to understand their workers, in this case, Generation Y, because by 2025, 75% of the workforce will consist of these employees. By better understanding their workers, companies can then strategically align employee incentives to ensure that they are able to retain the best talent.
So rather than fighting this issue of turnover, how about employers just go with it? Young workers aren’t interested in having the same job for fifty years. They’re just not. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t want to stay at the same ORGANIZATION for quite some time. What does that mean? Employers can retain employees by making it easier for internal talent to transition to other jobs. They can also do so by allowing employees to belong to different task forces, helping to expand their skill sets on a regular basis. We want to develop, we like varied tasks, and when we express interest in another field, we’d like nothing more than the opportunity to explore that.
Too often, people start off their careers at jobs that they soon realize are not for them. And then what happens? They leave the organization because they figure it’s their only option. At most organizations, it’s really difficult to change jobs. Why? Because every job requires x amount of years of experience in that particular field. If you’ve been busy working at job A, how are you supposed to have x amount of years of experience in job B? You just can’t.
Companies can really do a much better job at providing on-the-job training which would allow employees to pursue other career options without leaving the organization and taking their talents elsewhere. Companies need to make sure that their employees don’t feel stuck. And in order to do that, there exists a need for leaders who guide and mentor other employees, helping them reach their career goals.
3. Why is this a good thing?
At this point, I’m sure some people are reading this and thinking, “Dude, that’s a lot of work…I hire someone to do a specific job and that’s it. If they don’t like it, they can leave.”
That’s fine. You can choose to feel that way.
But they WILL leave.
And you WILL miss out.
You’ll miss out on talent. And you know what? Your people and their talent are your greatest assets. So use it. Make better use of your talent. If your employees are expending their skill sets, that’s great! Let them! Encourage them! Instead of being proficient in only one area, they’ll now be proficient in many. Isn’t that the goal? To have well-rounded employees? I certainly think so.
So true! I’m currently in that 18-month period and I feel like I need to reassess.
Another outstanding post! The older generations can learn a lot from Gen Y on this – using the same skills for years can make them stale unless there is cross-training, expanding responsibilities, and growth. A lot more workers should consider job hopping within their organizations.
Another outstanding post!
Older generations can learn a lot from this. If they are using the same skills for years without cross-training, expanding their responsibilities, or actually job-hopping, they are missing out on tremendous growth and job satisfaction.
…By 2025. There’s reason enough to worry, considering many of the ‘Gen Y’ers that I’ve noticed are happy as a low-man-on-totem-pole position at some fast food restaurant. It’s nice to know that some of us actually have a head on our shoulders that is filled with intelligence and ambition.
I don’t really agree with the job-hopping, though. The reason that I say this is because most companies, after a period of experience gained, already offer a promotion along with a pay raise. On another note, I do agree, since a position of ‘Dock Worker’ would never really be promoted to, oh, I don’t know, a secretary position in the office…? — So, I’m still a little curious about it, since I’ve seen workers of Gen Y irresponsibly walk out of jobs they’ve had for as little as three months, without bothering to have their mind set on what comes next.
As I stated before, though; It’s nice to see that some (especially young women) have the ambition to push them forward, an intelligent head on their shoulders, and the positive outlook that’s usually required in order to deal with everything being thrown all at once.
Kayla, great post, and as an employer it is important to understand all generational differences in order for the multi-generational workplace to function as a whole. I have had several Gen-years work for us and stay for 5-9 years, possibly more as we have one who just celebrated their 8th anniversary. There are so many factors that play into hiring and keeping the right employee. Now we just hired our first millennium baby and things are going very well.
I agree, there needs to be room to grow. Sometimes you have to leave because you can’t expand your skillset at your current job/company. Job hopping should be easier because certain skills are transferable, but its not always apparent at first glance if they are just looking for “x years of experience”.
Great article!
It could have something to do with my current, on-going job search, but I could not agree more with your opinion here. You really get it. You’ve nailed the so-called “job-hopping” of our generation right on the head.
You’re posts always impress me and eerily align with things weighing on my mind. Great job. I definitely agree with you, however, some organizations are inevitably going to be left regardless of other opportunities.Still, that doesn’t mean it it isn’t good practice to give employees options on part of said organization. Kind of a better safe than sorry approach as I see it.
In fact, a few months after I began the job I am at now, I was promised to be taught all these “extra” skills in order to insure I could take something away from my job other than just how to do paper work (which is REALLY hard – please note sarcasm). That never happened.
I still want to be a Princess. And I really wouldn’t mind doing that until I die.
Great post. I’m in college working as a part time editor, and about once a week a cold fear grips my soul when I wonder if this is what I’ll be doing…..forever…….
I like it. It’s nice. But….forever?
The trouble is, there are some jobs that require a couple of years of experience before you even know what you are doing. Some jobs just take a long time to complete (for example, doing basic research can require a who career before you get adequate data. If you want to jump around, that is fine if you want to become a manager since being shallow but wide in experience is typically adequate for many management positions. You still need some people who have a depth of knowledge, however, to get the job done well.
As an aside, I wonder if this quick burn-out is a result of constantly texting while watching TV and doing homework. Maybe the brains of people who grew up with many distractions (and who are used to doing “research” buy cutting and pasting from the internet) are not wired to concentrate for long periods of time. Thoughts?
Fantastic post; I totally agree. And, this goes beyond the Gen Y world; companies need to fast realize that all generations are done with the ‘one company, one career’ world and that part of their offer to employees is to help them develop for the future.
Reblogged this on 3 Connections and commented:
I just read this excellent post, ‘Companies Need To Make It Easier for Gen Y to Job-Hop’, from a blog I follow. It is written from the ‘Gen Y’ point of view, but I believe you could insert older generations into the title and it would still be extremely relevant. Kudos’ to Kayla Cruz who wrote this post. Let me know your thoughts.
Great post. I’m so glad to see so many young people today starting to realize that we don’t have to be one dimensional and stay at the same job forever doing the same thing when we have interests and passions in other areas. I like that pic of you and your brother btw. My brother is one of my favorite people too
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You regularly make thought provoking posts, and this one is no different. While I agree with the idea of “knowing your employees”, I think it not a logical extension that employers should accept it. To do so is actually contrary to your own argument, and it is just bad business as well. Alas, your idea is hardly a knew one. I was taught the maxim of “knowing who works for you” over 30 years ago when it was suggested I keep notes about employee’s birthdays, wife/husband’s name, kids, education level, and of course, where they see themselves in 5, 10 and 20 years.
As someone who has hired many people over the years, I can assure you that I looked closely at a person’s resume’ with regards to their former employment. Their duration of employment and reason for leaving was always considered. The more jobs a person has had, in say the past 10 years, the less desirable he becomes for employment. The operative question becomes, “do you really know what you want to do?” and “why should I invest money in you only to have you leave in 6 months?”
In today’s technical world you just begin to understand your job a six months. It is the applicant’s job to understand as completely and reasonably as possible the job he is being hired in to. If the job does not meet his expectations, then he should decline employment and move on.
I said this in one of my blog’s posts; a person needs to have a plan for today, next week, next year, five years from now, and twenty years from now. He should have as solid an idea of what that looks like as is reasonable given his present likes, understandings, and education.
One of the most attractive characteristics any employee can display is commitment to his job. Such people generally count their lengths of employments in years and not months. While change is a good thing, and many times necessary, job hopping shows the applicant to be lacking direction, possibly motivation, and definitely in commitment.
Old School, meet New School. Listen up.
I’m a baby boomer, but unlike most of my peers, have job hopped quite a lot, and have found it a great way to stay focused, and HAPPY with my life, rather than stuck in the same job until the stupid fake gold watch at retirement from the same boring job!!
Everyone’s always looking for better pastures. If we are not happy where we are, it really is time to move on.
Likewise, all employers should find ways to retain their staff too.
I’ve been at the same company for 2 years and it’s making me sweaty.