Even though it appears that the world has turned on its head right now, surprisingly we have seen an increase in the number of professionals who have decided now is the time to make a move. Why now!? … well along with all the other changes lately, candidates are experiencing a range of changes to their roles, and for some, the negatives are outweighing the positives.
In order to ascertain whether a candidate is ready to move, I have look for the five P’s in my conversations. What are these five P’s I hear you say?, (or maybe not, and lockdown is getting to me already!):
Payment – It’s usually the first reason I get from a person looking for a new role, but the truth of it is that although payment or feeling you are being paid fairly is important, it’s only ever part of the reason you look to change your job. There is more to life than money and being in a very well paid job that you hate will never last! With people currently working from home and saving on travel, lunches and the extortionate amount of coffee we purchase – payment is only ever part of the puzzle! I regularly speak to candidates who are being paid up to 20% below the market average salary and when I ask them about making a move and tell them the disparity, they often respond with, ‘but I’m happy in my job’. This might sound crazy to some, but another ‘p’ is priorities, and everyone’s are different!
People – Now, more than ever, people’s relationships with their colleagues are being tested. But not how you might think - I have spoken to professionals who are no longer searching for their new role to escape interpersonal challenges at the office, because rather than sitting beside someone for eight hours a day, it’s now virtual meetings a couple of times a week! Similarly, I have other candidates who were staying in roles just because they had very strong relationships with their colleagues, and that was the most positive aspect of their working day.
Plateau – Growth is important and feeling like you are learning and growing year on year is an integral part of your career happiness. However, if this doesn’t go hand in hand with at least some of my other ‘P’s’, it’s unlikely that you will see a professional leave when they have hit the glass ceiling in a company they love working for. Often these candidates will actively seek out other opportunities for growth within their organisation. Sometimes candidates will give lack of progression as the reason when in fact they are unhappy with other aspects of their role.
Place – Location and commuting are less relevant at the moment than ever before. Having to battle the traffic on the stairs in the morning is the most many of us have been doing recently. However, one consideration under this point at the moment is - has your employer made your ‘place’ any better for you? I spoke to a candidate recently and part of their reason for wanting to make a move was because their company did not provide them with a monitor to work from home comfortably. A monitor is a relatively small thing, but it helped the employee to work more efficiently. This was the last straw for them and gave them the drive they needed to look for a new role. I have also spoken to candidates who have praised their companies for sending a desk, supplies, treats and anything to make their working from home life better.
