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Loyalty to the enterprise, ethics at the
workplace, job security, job sentiment, etc.,
seem to be are elusive concepts for the present-day generation. Starting career in
one organization and shifting from one enterprise
to another at frequent intervals during the tenure is
a very common practice in these days. People no longer believe in sticking to one organization
and particularly, to one job for years together. They
do not hesitate to change jobs at frequent intervals,
if they perceive that such changes can help them grow in their career. They do not consider it as
an insane, unstable, or an impulsive act. Job
changing is considered as the most vital strategy at
the personal level to grow in their career and to
attain their personal goals. When compared to the
earlier generations, the present-day generation seems
to be more dynamic, vibrant, ambitious,
challenging, goal-directed and career-oriented. They want
to decide their own employers. Majority of the employees in the corporate world, especially
those under 30, consider themselves as `free agents'
who actively manage their own career in a
progressive way. From the Human Resource (HR)
perspective, this process of changing jobs at frequent
intervals by the employee is called `Job Hopping'.
Job hopping refers to the practice of changing
jobs frequently, especially as a means to quick
financial gain or career advancement.
A job hopper is one who shifts three jobs within a year or two. Nobody knows exactly
and perfectly about who is a short timer? And what should be the ideal period of stay in a job?
Some HR specialists believe that staying around
2-4 years is ideal, but this is not a benchmark.
Job hopping concept is not confined to any particular continent or nation or industry.
This kind of practices have been found everywhere across the globe. For example, the US
Department of Labor, reports that `Job Churn' or the number
of people who voluntarily leave their jobs, grew at
a rate of nearly 14% a year in the 1990s. This rate
is more than double that of the previous decade.
There is a notion that job hopping practices
are being indulged in by youngsters, particularly those below 30 years of age. As a matter of fact, it
is not fully correct. Though youngsters are more prone to change job, but they are not the
exclusive `patent holders'. Senior professionals
with excellent credentials are changing jobs more frequently than ever before. Surprisingly,
this number is on rise. |
