Job Hoppers Re-Emerging in 2005?

By Dave Marr, The Omnia Group
January 30, 2005

The results of a joint survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and CareerJournal.com suggest that an improving economy and job market could signal more turnover than usual this year. Although only 38% of the 389 SHRM members polled indicated a rise in voluntary resignations last year, 67% of respondents believe it is very or somewhat likely more employees will depart their companies for job opportunities elsewhere. In contrast, only 26% said it is somewhat unlikely that an economic rebound will have an adverse impact on their voluntary turnover rate, while 8% said it is very unlikely.

To gain additional insight from employees, visitors to CareerJournal.com were asked to describe their job-search intentions. These respondents generally fell into two broad categories – those who were “just looking” and those actively engaged in a bona fide job search – with nearly half (47%) indicating they plan to start a new search or increase their efforts to find new employment.

Although these findings appear ominous, there is some good news in the offing: Job dissatisfaction is not the primary reason employees gave for their projected departures. Of the top three reasons for leaving, improved compensation was first (43%), followed by better career opportunities (32%) and displeasure with the current job (22%). HR professionals who responded to the survey believe that competitive salaries (59%) and suitable career-development opportunities (47%) provide a good foundation for an effective retention strategy along with competitive merit increases and bonuses.

Reprinted with permission from Dave Marr. Contact him via The Omnia Group at 1-800-525-7117 or www.omniagroup.com.