Are you looking for a new job? If so, you’re not alone. According to the new Gallup Workforce Panel study, 51 percent of workers are currently looking elsewhere for employment. Here’s why so many are looking for greener pastures.
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1. We Want to Bring Our “A” Game
The No. 1 reason why workers want to make a change, Gallup found, was that they want to do what they do best. Fifty-eight percent of workers who had been at their present employer for less than three months said that they strongly agreed that being able to do their best work was a big reason for taking the job. Among those who had been employed for longer than three months, 60 percent strongly agreed that the same reason would inspire them to take a new job.
In other words, when we choose a new job, we want to do something we’re great at. Gallup warns, however, that this could lead to a bit of a revolving door:
“If workers are switching jobs and companies because they think a new role will allow them to do what they do best, yet they have fewer opportunities to do so in their new role than their more-tenured counterparts, employers are at a continued risk that workers will keep looking for a new role,” write Annamarie Mann and Becky McCarville in Gallup’s Business Journal.
2. More Money
Even though it ranked third in Gallup’s study, more money is still a high-ranking reason why people look elsewhere. Often a new position does mean a bigger paycheck (or at least we’re often advised to not slide backwards in pay). You should do your research to make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. PayScale’s Salary Report is an easy way to get started to see if you’re being paid appropriately, and can be a great negotiating tool.
3. More Engagement
As the new kid, when we start a job, we get more attention that old-timers. This isn’t necessarily because we’re special, but rather because of the need to make sure that we’re trained and know what we’re doing. Ironically, once we know what we’re doing, we often get less attention. When the honeymoon phase wears off, we might start to look around for that new job buzz again. If we can’t get an old job to feel new again, it might feel like time to go elsewhere.
Tell Us What You Think
Are you looking for new work in the new year? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
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