A 2016 Gallup poll shows that Millennials are the “Job Hopping Generation,” with 6 in 10 open to a new job at any given time, which is ultimately more than any other generation. Yes, this poll was conducted in 2016. However, a new study has revealed similar results.
Career Builder performed a study to see if the millennial reputation for job hopping is deserved, and their findings may not shock you.
Here are two revealing findings from the new study:
- By the time millennials reach age 35, they have had an average of five jobs
- When hiring a college-educated millennial, 45% of employers expect that employee to leave within just two years
According to the new study from Career Builder, young people switch jobs so often that employers actually expect their youngest employees to job hop.
Michelle Vogler, an SMU graduate, had something to say about why millennials are constantly leaving their jobs. She spoke with NBC5.
“We are not OK with being unhappy in a job. We want to be happy and we want to be fulfilled,” Vogler said. “We are willing to take that risk, that leap of faith to see if there is something better out there rather than just hanging out in the same job for 50 years.”
The Career Builder study shows that employees within governmental positions, entertainment or media positions, education positions, and non-profit positions are actually the most likely workers to job hob within five years of starting with their company.
“You know our parents and our grandparents who have worked for jobs that they don’t necessarily love but they do it because they want to provide for their family and I respect that,” Vogler said. “I would love to be in a position where I can find a job and make me happy and I will be there forever I would love that I’m not trying to job hop.”
Because it can be hard to retain millennials, many companies are looking to change their office culture to better attract young talent. For instance, 86% of companies with employee recognition programs will report an increase in worker happiness, which is just one way to generate a positive workplace culture.
Along with finding that millennials tend to job hop within five years of starting a position, Career Builder also found as a result of the study that women actually job-hop more than men. However, the survey did find some upsides to all that career transitioning.
The survey also questioned employers by asking them about their former employees. The employers said that the job hoppers had positive attitudes, had a large skill set, and could easily and quickly adapt.
In fact, Vogler believes that having a large skill set is very important when looking for a job and working with a company.
“I think having a wide variety of skill sets and being a well-rounded person is very important, today especially,” Vogler said.