Company Loyalty: Does It Still Exist? 3 Tips To Help You Prepare For Change
An illuminating study, by Monster.Com, highlights employees’ changing attitudes around loyalty in the workplace…so I ask you…where do you fall on the job loyalty spectrum? Are you in your job for the long haul, or looking to make your next move?
According to the Monster research, being happy on the job is no longer a predictor of how long an employee will stay. While nearly three-quarters of those surveyed (71%) said they were happy in their current job, nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) also reported that they were thinking about other employment options.
The massive layoffs and downsizing of the past several years have sent a clear message to workers that ‘Til retirement do us part’ is no longer realistic. Loyalty has changed on the part of employers, so it’s changing on the part of employees as well.
With less loyalty to any one company, more frequent job changes are becoming more common in the workplace – especially among younger workers, according to the Monster survey results. Of the Monster.Com survey participants age 25 to 44, over three-fourths (80%) had worked for their employer six years or less, whereas nearly three-fourths of respondents 55 and older (70%), and over half of respondents age 45 to 54 (52%), had worked for their current employer more than six years.
The Millennials
Generation Y – younger workers born between 1982 and 2004 – also known as Millennials are now the largest generation in the U.S. labor force, according to the Pew Research Center, and they’re setting the trend when it comes to new attitudes about workplace loyalty.
I see this shift in attitude playing out in my coaching practice and with the women I meet at speaking engagements around the country. While Baby Boomers value job satisfaction, they may be more willing to take one for the team – valuing loyalty to the company and long-term security over feeling completely satisfied with their work.
Millennials, on the other hand, are looking for enjoyment, meaning and fulfillment on the job in the here and now. If their satisfaction with a job wanes, Millennials are not as concerned about the job-hopper stigma as their generational predecessors, and are more likely to switch jobs to find a position that more closely matches their values and keeps them fully engaged.
Ready For Change
Joanie Courtney, Senior VP, Global Market Insights at Monster.Com, says being prepared for anything is key. “There are things you can do today that can pay off later – whether you stay where you are or move on to something new.” She offers these 3 tips that can help:
- Keep Your Resume/ Personal Website Updated. If it’s been more than six months, give your resume a brush up. “You may feel confident now, but it’s always good to be prepared if something drastically changes with you, or your company,” Joanie says.
- Learn Something New. Read blogs and articles related to your profession. Regularly peruse your Twitter and LinkedIn feeds, and consider taking an on-line class to explore and broaden your knowledge.
- Engage Socially. Network regularly on LinkedIn and Twitter, and in-person at professional and community events.
The days of the gold watch, presented upon retirement, are gone. By building your skills and accomplishments, you’re directing your loyalty where it’s most important – to yourself and your career over the long term. A good track record will serve you well whether you stay in one job or decide to make a change.
