We often get asked when it is time to consider a change in your career. While there are no clear-cut answers, a good place to start is by asking yourself: “Have I stopped learning?”
The fact that many people stay with the same company for years might not be a stroke of luck or a lack of ambition on their part – it means that the company is very good at employee retention.
How Companies Keep Employees
Most companies declare that they want long-term employees, yet few put in the effort to create an environment that facilitates that. Once an employee has settled in and does a good job, it can be easy to take them for granted and stop inquiring about their satisfaction level. The companies that try to enable the personal career goals of their employees are the ones more likely to have high retention rates.
Here are 5 ways to keep employees:
- Frequent promotions
- Training opportunities
- The opportunity to work on key projects
- The ability to move departments
- The chance to facilitate internal changes
How Companies Lose Employees
Going a step further from taking someone for granted, there are some more unpleasant situations that make employees quit. While a lack of growth might be tolerated for a while if everything else is fine, in time it can turn into the top reason for changing companies. Young people are more likely to pursue growth opportunities in a job – according to this study, 87% of millennials rate “professional or career growth and development opportunities” as important to them, compared to 69% of other generations.
Here are 5 causes for employees leaving:
- Faulty management
- Unhealthy work-life balance
- Lack of growth/ promotion opportunities
- Lack of flexibility
- Uncompetitive salary
Are You Still Growing?
Instead of focusing on the idea that you have to spend a certain amount of time in a company/role before considering a change, focus on yourself and on your impact. Do you still have an impact in the role you have today? Are you still learning, feeling challenged and developing in your current position?
In the end, learning is growing. We get motivated not only by job benefits, but by taking on new challenges, building new skills and advancing on our career path. If you feel that you are stagnating in one or more ways, think about what kind of change would enable you to start growing again.
Key Takeaway: If you have stopped to learn and grow, consider making a change.
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