SHORT-SERVICE PERIODS THE NEW TREND

The problem with this of course, is the poor employer - who as usual has to foot the bill! It gets to the point where you feel like all you are doing is training new staff and just as you 'almost' get them to the point that you want them to be, they decide to leave for greener pastures!

I am from the boomer generation and I don't think that I actually stayed in a job for less than 5 years - looking at some of the members of my family however, I had an uncle who swore by the 3 year rule - that meant you never, and I mean never, ever stayed in the same job for more than 3 years. I guess being a creature of habit, my comfort zone was the stability of being in the same job!

Look at me now though, out in the big wide world, all on my own and enjoying every minute of it! There is something about having your own business that is almost addictive. Working with my very different and diverse clients, can be challenging to say the least, but it is also incredibly rewarding and I am learning so much, whilst sharing my own experiance and knowledge with them. Then of course there is the fact that there is never a dull moment and no chance of ever becoming 'bored' at work! Too many new things to learn and experiance!

Short-service periods the new trend
Staff Reporter

12 April 2007 at 06h00

A potential employer will always look at a job applicant's previous periods of employment and, depending on the person's track record, reputation and the industry in which they're working, short- service periods could be an issue that raises red flags for anyone who is hiring.

Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, managing director of Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters, said that in South Africa employers were cautious about hiring individuals with "jumpy" employment records, and tenure was an issue they would look at closely when making their decision to hire you. Globally, however, there was a trend towards a shortening in service periods. She pointed to the latest research by the Washington DC-based Employer Benefit Research Institute, which found that the average length for employees of 25 years of age and older to stay in one job was 4,4 years for women and 4,9 years for men. "Additionally", Goodman-Bhyat said, "the research revealed that within the public service workers would stay in one job for an average of seven years - double that of workers in the private sector who average 3,5-year service periods.

"Our experience in South Africa is similar to that highlighted by the research in the US market. Within the private sector, different industries and individual corporates will have varied expectations when it comes to service period track records, but 3,5 years can be regarded as an average benchmark. "Question marks will be raised by many employers for successive tenures of less than two years."

Goodman-Bhyat said an exception to this was certain high-flyers within the financial services industry who, in the current skills shortage market, could hop with relative ease between companies that were happy to have them, even for a short period of time, to assist them in reaching bottom-line targets. These financial market professionals currently had the good fortune of riding a wave of buoyant markets hungry for sharp skills which were scarce at certain levels, and so shorter than average tenure was a factor that employers would ignore in the race to win top talent. However, South African corporates, besides financial services, would need to get used to employing professionals with track records displaying much shorter periods of employment than were currently considered acceptable.

Goodman-Bhyat said the "Generation X" and the "millennials" were travelling more and were generally less easily satisfied - all trends that were leading to shorter periods of employment. Additional contributors were the skills shortage, perceived lack of employer loyalty, and the general expectation of "instant gratification" by young professionals.Goodman-Bhyat said this meant that talented professionals were likely to change jobs much more frequently than they did in the past, and employers, if they wanted to hire competitive talent, had no choice than to become accustomed to shorter tenures.