Majority of Surveyed Tech Employees Say They Are Interested in Changing Jobs or Companies

The job market dominated by today’s millennials is different compared to the market defined by the boomers. Gone are the days when you stayed at one company for 20 years or more. That path has become antiquated and maybe even detrimental. Some say that workers who stay in companies longer than two years get paid 50 percent less. There are others who believe that staying too long at one company will limit an employee’s network, limit new challenges, and cause that worker to fall behind in industry trends. The idea that job hoppers are unreliable and unstable is slowly fading away. In fact, these job hoppers are looked upon favorably now as higher performers and better team players. Patty McCord, former chief talent officer for Netflix, says that “job hopping is a good thing, and young people should plan to do so every three to four years.”

Something found often on Blind are users seeking advice about career and job moves. One Amazon employee expressed contemplating a switch after five years at the company. An IGT employee reached out to the anonymous community to ask how long one should stay at a startup. A Netflix employee responded with the following: “You’re realistically expected to leave within 1-2 years.” An employee from Syapse revealed thoughts about quitting his or her job to devote more time to looking for a new one. There’s even a post where Blind users discuss how often they change jobs. (Every 2 years is a popular answer.)

In November 2017, Blind surveyed just over 3,600 of its users and discovered that 67% of participants were interested in changing their job or employer.

The high percentage of Blind users wanting to make a switch could be due to many reasons including dissatisfaction with their companies. It can also just be a sign of the times. In 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average person has 12 job changes during his or her career. In January 2016, the BLS reported that the average employee tenure was 4.2 years. That’s down from 4.6 years in January 2014.

So why do people change jobs so often or want to do so? Common reasons found on Blind posts include: Higher pay, career advancement, career change, learning opportunities, work-life balance, alignment between personal values and company priorities, or bad leadership.

With the stigma of job hopping lifting away, employees can invest more time in taking control of their careers rather than let an organization define their careers for them. Just as you grow out of relationships and phases in life, sometimes you grow out of a position or work culture. There’s less reason to remain stagnant now.