The good or bad ways to leave or change jobs
Too often we fail to manage work endings well. The consequences not only affect the person who leaves, but can also harm the staff who remain and the company itself. Naomi Shragai the writer is a business psychotherapist and author of “The Man Who Mistook His Work For His Life” and she says interesting things like this: “A client in my psychotherapy practice, for example, could only remember two retirement parties in her career. 30 years in banking. “Everyone else said (here he uses an expression of sending people or the company to a certain place, who can figure out what it is) on their way out the door, or they were fired.”
Naomi Shragai also argues that every time a person leaves their job, uncomfortable situations, feelings of loss and even grief always occur. However, while organizations encourage productivity-boosting feelings like optimism and enthusiasm, they often ignore those that may mistakenly appear to produce nothing. For this reason, she says that you have to ask yourself what is the midpoint that balances the interests of the company and the worker, so that you can choose to ignore the event, being that some people, in turn, avoid the endings for fear of embarrassment or being overwhelmed with emotion.
Endings and beginnings, however, are inextricably linked for people
It seems logical that a good end allows a good beginning. In other words, it provides a place to process what has been and prepare for what is to come; to pause and reflect on accomplishments, opportunities taken and missed, relationships made and broken, and most importantly, the chance to say goodbye.
A departure also offers a rare moment of intimacy at work where you can say thoughtful words and be reminded of kindness and generosity. People who leave can hear, perhaps for the first time, how valuable they and their contributions were. Such expressions boost a person’s confidence: the warmth and positivity can help them overcome initial insecurity and even loneliness in their next job or venture.
A time to cement relationships
No doubt that moment has to serve to strengthen contacts instead of feelings of relief at leaving others behind. Such endings also benefit businesses and organizations by improving their reputation as employers and their ability to hire.
A symbolic value of each exit of personnel
Endings also have a deep symbolic resonance with the people who stay behind. When exits are ignored, or worse, those who leave are treated poorly, this signals to the remaining staff that they are not important either.
Loss of motivation and effort
This can result in a loss of motivation and effort, impairing collaboration, productivity, and overall performance. Also, you miss out on the opportunity to re-hire talented and experienced people in the future.
Karen Thomas-Bland, founder of Seven, a management consultancy, says that with the current pressures on hiring, many companies are banking on a “boomerang effect.” But if people are mistreated on their way out, they are unlikely to return.
She adds that managers should also consider the impact on their brand of a bad review on social media, or the spread of industry news by disgruntled ex-employees. She urges companies to consider: “What experience do you want them to walk out the door with, and what do you want them to say to the next 10 people?” And when people are fired through no fault of their own, as in mergers, those left behind may feel guilty and may wonder why they survived when friends were fired.
Leaving a job is rarely perfect: it’s often messy
It can also trigger a range of emotions, from sadness to relief, or lingering resentments and excitement for new possibilities. All of this is healthy and normal, and implies that the work and relationships made were meaningful.
However, some endings are more challenging than others, such as a patient of Naomi Shragai’s who she helped to cope with a brutal and unfair dismissal by her boss.
The excuses that the employer sometimes makes
Naomi Shragai makes it clear that her patient explained to her what her boss raised: a bunch of questions that were essentially made up. She invited him to resign and if she didn’t, they were going to throw him out.
Then it happened that when he replied that he had nothing to do with the operational aspects, but rather with the fact that he and his boss had not been able to work together, he had a histrionic fit and stormed out of the office. The head of Human Resources finally ushered him out of the building, grabbed his phone, and passed it over to him.
When this patient looks back on what happened to him, he realizes that it was not due to a failure on his part, but rather to someone who was deeply flawed, and in the years since he left the company, her decision has finally been validated by the success she has had in her career.
The consequences of a bad dismissal
Unless these bad endings are analyzed and processed, the unfair accusations can be internalized and the person can feel inadequate. They are then likely to take their hurt feelings and project them onto their next job, repeating a similar dynamic.
Mark Stein, emeritus professor of leadership and management at the University of Leicester, believes the worst case scenario is when someone is unceremoniously expelled and a “non-disclosure order” or “gag” is imposed. He indicates to the people who stay that “I could deal with this too”.
He gives an example of when a person has only a few hours to go and his email suddenly closes. “Often it comes as a complete surprise, with no warning and they are terrified of his career. The only compensatory event is getting a sum of money for signing a gag order. They are so afraid of jeopardizing their pay that they don’t talk to their colleagues or answer questions. It’s catastrophic: not just losing your job, but also your friendships at work.”
So how should employers manage departures? Above all, what they should always do is treat people with kindness and respect.
Being able to achieve better final scenarios in a job
Endings should be marked by rituals to help people move on, but it’s important to figure out how the individual would like to mark their departure. Making sure it is recognized in a positive way reinforces a safe work culture and allows for the possibility of future employment relationships.
Remember that the remaining employees will be watching how their colleague is treated
Even if the reasons for a departure are disturbing, managers must provide an explanation because secrecy can turn toxic and allow people’s evil fantasies to run wild.
For those who leave, knowing that someone else can do their job or that they can quickly forget it can be a hard pill to swallow, but this can be alleviated by valuing their achievements and the good relationships established.
There may also be personal and professional realities that are only confronted when leaving
A good ending from an employer helps to ease the blow and accept that a career of, say, 20 years was being ended prematurely due to serious illness. As in a situation in which the person affected said: “it was like putting an end to the war that was going on inside me, between my ambitions and my reality.”
Leaving work due to harassment
A woman who left her job abruptly after being sexually harassed by her boss says: “It’s incredibly sad because she was leaving behind the relationships and work that I was passionate about. I cried, I’m not going to lie, but I was having conversations with people who helped me move on. Some people were quite surprised and said they felt bad or guilty. They saw my end and thought, ‘God, that could be me.
A man who sold his business after reaching his financial goals reflects: “There was a feeling of ‘could we have done more?’ And not wanting to burn bridges with my business partners. While we had our difficulties, we accomplished what we set out to do. That shared experience of achieving success is a bit like siblings, where you fight but in the end there is a bond. But you also wonder what your employees will think of you and how they will remember you.
Are frequent role changes good or bad for your career?
When we consider a person’s employment history, we tend to think that a decent amount of time spent in a given role, typically 18+ months, looks good on paper and anything else tends to raise some questions.
But are relatively frequent job changes the mark of an ambitious and forward-thinking professional, or does a mixed work history show a lack of commitment?
In the world of employment and recruitment, is there an industry standard for how long you should spend on a job? Also, how often is too often? To weigh whether continuous role changes are good or bad for your career, here we present opinions and viewpoints from various business and recruiting experts.
So are frequent job changes a sign of someone looking to get ahead or a recruiting red flag?
Ben Chatfield, co-founder of Tempo, is firmly in the former camp, saying, “There are a host of benefits that a portfolio career can bring, and there’s no end point to when someone can embark on a new challenge.”
In fact, a more varied resume tends to show adaptability and preparation, unlike those who have held fewer positions. On this, Ben points out: “Varied experience shows that a candidate is better at working flexibly in different environments and is more likely to have a greater range of soft skills and a broader pool of professional contacts. Employers, in turn, will see candidates with diverse careers integrate faster and onboard more efficiently.”
Many of the experts pointed to how the hiring landscape is changing. To this end, Ben says that “if companies want to continue to attract top talent, they need to embrace this phenomenon and change the way they find and access the employee experience.”
When you are against frequent role changes
Amanda Augustine, career counseling expert at TopCV, was less charitable than Ben when it came to frequent job changes, saying, “When it comes to her career, it’s important to know how often she changes jobs.
“Before you accept any position, know what is expected of you, and that includes how the industry you work in views length of employment. For example, while it may be common, and to some extent expected, for professionals working in a risk-prone startup environment to move regularly, for others, frequent job changes can be a black mark on their CV.”
Amanda points to the volume of applications hiring managers receive, many of which are for only one position. Often they will assume the worst and may deduce that candidates may have a commitment issue or struggle to keep up with the demands of the job.
She says, “While you can get away with it in your twenties, as someone gets older and more experienced in their career, frequent job changes become harder to justify.”
In closing, Amanda offers the following: “In an ideal world, professionals would stay in each job for a minimum of two years, which she would recommend is the sweet spot. However, if all the signs indicate that a role is not the right fit, there is nothing wrong with moving on, as long as you can justify exactly why you chose to take the leap, and I would definitely recommend securing a new job first!
Is there obvious development or enthusiasm?
As for opinions that fell somewhere in between, there were many that pointed to the different nature of the labor market and hiring in general compared to the past. As a result, arriving at a “good or bad” decision is a little less clear cut, usually because there are other factors at play, as well as a qualitative rather than quantitative approach to viewing job applications.
A Mad HR representative admitted that while they were wary of those who have “job-hopped,” it was also important to see whether these choices could appear to be the result of a clear and progressive career path, or indeed, if it is for unforeseen circumstances.
The importance of a career progression path
Many organizations always look for candidates who are dedicated to their career and personal development, while clearly showing evidence of being consistent or intentional in their choices. If there is a direct line that is marking a person’s path of progression, then certainly this kind of personal trajectory mitigates the concern that would normally be generated by someone jumping from one role to another.
Explain why the change
Many recruiters urge anyone who has held multiple jobs to provide clear explanations of the reasons for the change, in order to show that they can be seen as trustworthy and dedicated to their career.
Similarly, James McDonagh, EMEA director at Nigel Frank International, believes that the stigma surrounding frequent job changes can be lessened with other qualities. He believes that employers today want commitment from their candidates. So they’re not about to go back to sitting at someone else’s desk six months from now trying to replace it because they have a better deal elsewhere. If they’re worried about a cluttered employment history, it’s putting off potential employers, as it helps to focus on presenting them with what they want to see: loyalty.
James advises showing enthusiasm for the position he is applying for. Candidates should read about the job, the company, and their mission, and explain how interested they are in furthering that vision and helping them succeed. In the event that you want to change jobs, you must show employers that you see a future for you within their organization.
Hiring managers need to take note
An interesting point was raised by James Calder, CEO of Distinct Recruitment, who noted that there are other circumstances surrounding ongoing changes in job roles and that hiring managers should not be so rushed as a result.
James says, “Consider the companies the candidate has worked for. While some will provide the platform for employees to develop and progress within the company, some, usually smaller organizations, often do not have the reach or infrastructure for these individuals to achieve internal promotion. This, in most cases, forces them to move externally to progress.
The onus should lie more on hiring managers themselves to understand the reasons and motivations for candidates’ previous career moves. This is something recruiters do with every candidate they meet. Frequency can be difficult to quantify, but from a recruiter’s point of view, whether candidates can speak with confidence, providing plausible reasons behind their changes and trajectory, explaining full details for each decision, and being able to demonstrate how they developed as a result, that candidate is making his way in the right direction.
The right and wrong reasons to change jobs
But don’t overreact. Leaving a job to minimize pain should not be the main reason for taking another job. This idea is captured in the Job Applicant Decision Matrix, which consists of four grids as follows:
– The upper one on the left is “Getting” which corresponds to getting.
– The upper one on the right is “doing” which corresponds to doing.
– The lower left is “The daily grind” which corresponds to the daily routine.
– The lower one on the right is “going nowhere” which corresponds to going nowhere.
The bottom half of the grid represents the reasons why people consider changing jobs. The top half represents the reasons why they accept offers. These negative and positive motivators are divided into extrinsic (short-term) motivators shown on the left and intrinsic (long-term) motivators shown on the right.
When considering a job change, too many candidates overemphasize what they get on their new job start date: a title, location, company name, and compensation package. While positive, these are short-term, and if the job isn’t a long-term career change, job satisfaction will drop rapidly and negative motivators will quickly reappear. This is referred to as the “vicious cycle” of dissatisfaction, underperformance, and turnover.
The decision table can help job seekers make more balanced career decisions, even when the pressure to leave is overwhelming and a hot offer is in hand.
When is the right time to change jobs?
Job change should be considered when the intrinsic negatives outweigh the positives. If you quickly review the descriptions of the four categories, there’s no doubt that if your job is “going nowhere,” it’s time to change jobs. If the “Daily Grind” is getting you down, you should consider some quick fixes, but changing jobs should only be one of your options. The big problem for most job seekers is that when they are offered an offer, there is usually not enough information available to make a full assessment of their long-term career.
This is largely the fault of the company, the hiring manager, and the recruiter involved in the process. In their rush to fill positions as quickly as possible with the best person to apply, little thought is actually given to the position itself and the potential opportunity it represents.
In this case, it’s up to the astute candidate to better understand that what on the surface may seem like a good career move, may deep down be the excuse next year for why you want to change jobs again. Here are some simple things you can do to carry out your own professional due diligence.
Understand the real needs of the job
Ask the search manager for the position you are applying for and/or the hiring manager to define the actual job needs. If you sense that the interviewer is brushing off your concerns, you can then ask, “What is the most important goal the person in this role must achieve to be considered successful?” You should then follow up to further clarify expectations. of the work, finding out the scope of the work, available resources and the importance of the work.
Turn “have” into “do”
When someone starts a skill check or puzzle, you should ask how your skills will be used on the job. If the person runs into this, you have a clue that the job hasn’t been defined too well. Therefore, you should also find out why the job is open. The goal of this question is to find out if there is an inherent problem with the work or if it is the result of a positive change.
Ask what happened to the last person in that role
This is usually a clue to the manager’s ability to select and develop people.
So it’s important to ask how performance will be measured, and also to worry if the hiring manager is lazy or uncommitted. Strong managers can tell you their expectations for the person hired.
Go through the flowchart
Find out who is on the team and who you will be working with. You will want to meet some of these people before accepting an offer. If you’re going to inherit a team, ask about quality and your chance to rebuild it.
Ask about the manager’s vision for the department and the open position. This will give you a good idea of the hiring manager’s abilities, his aspirations, and the positive potential of the open position.
Understanding the manager’s leadership style
There could be a problem if the manager is too controlling or too passive, reactive or planner, or a coach or super technical etc. The point: make sure your style fits the person you’ll be working for or you’ll be disappointed in a few months.
Discover the real culture
Ask everyone you know how decisions are made, the company’s appetite for change, the intensity, the politics and the sophistication of the infrastructure. Don’t buy into the platitudes and fancy vision statement.
When considering accepting an offer or not, don’t be seduced by your desire to leave or by employer branding and what you’re going to get on the first day. All of this will become less important 3-6 months into the job. Instead, you should emphasize what you will be doing and learning, the people you will be working with, and how all of this meets your professional and personal needs. Here’s how to prevent the “Daily Bump” from becoming too big of a problem and a “Going Nowhere” job from becoming your next excuse to leave.