Job hopper!?!

Can we please normalize ridding our world of the phrase ‘job hopper’?!? 

It’s ridiculous.  Are we really going to put a negative label on, ridicule, and criticize people who make career moves that best align with their aspirations and values?  Who take advantage of opportunities to provide for their families? 

I have had several different jobs, especially in the last few years.  Some may look at my resume and immediately call me a job hopper.  I call it taking control of my career and doing what is best for my family. 

Bad bosses, toxic cultures, meaningless work – I have experienced it all.  I also know from experience there is little any one employee can do to turn a workplace upside down.  And I have too much self- respect to stay in a workplace that is not healthy for me.  I have worked too hard to be miserable in my job.  Life is too short to waste away the hours on something you don’t love. 

Let’s be honest – it is hard to evaluate a potential employer, the position, the culture, the team, etc. in the span of an interview process.  A candidate can research the company and ask all of the great questions – but nothing is fool proof.  Sometimes organizations (and candidates!) misrepresent themselves or they truly do not see their weaknesses.  I have known people to leave a job when the original company was acquired and the new people in charge changed the rules.  Whatever the case may be – we need to give grace, especially to candidates and employees who are putting themselves out there in an attempt to better themselves and their situations.  Not every hire/every opportunity is going to be a fit.  And that’s okay. 

For me, my work is a big part of who I am.  I truly believe God brought me to HR to help make work great for people.  I am very passionate about the industry, and I put my heart and soul into what I do.  Because of this, I refuse to be more loyal to a company than to my purpose. 

Another reason for my various job changes?  Money.  Plain and simple.  It is damn near impossible to achieve significant compensation goals by staying in one place for many years.  That 3-5% annual cost of living adjustment is not going to cut it.  I have a family to take care of (and boy are they expensive!)  For women, the climb is even higher and more difficult.  We have all heard the statistics on gender pay inequity over the past few years – those stats don’t lie.  Women are consistently paid less than their male peers across industries.  I say that ends now. 

To my friends in Recruiting and Talent Acquisition – I urge you to please abandon the old practice of focusing on ‘time in job’ on resumes and really dig into the content of what that candidate has accomplished.  Let’s consider a person’s possibilities for the future and not just their past. 

Happy Friday!

Did you hear the news?!?  My book, People Fusion, became an Amazon best-seller last week!  Please give it a read and let me know what you think.