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I work as a white collar professional, and generally associate with other white collar professionals outside of work. It seems like every person I know is experiencing or has recently experienced extreme volatility with their current and former employers. Re-orgs, layoffs, mergers, acquisitions, outsourcing, offshoring, etc. have become the new normal in Corporate America. As employees, we're always in a state of uncertainty and instability. And then people question why employees aren't loyal anymore, and why job hopping is becoming more prevalent. Well, here's your answer. I think employees want to stay put for the long term, but when they're constantly under threat of losing their job, they are going to move around more frequently in hopes to establish more stability in their lives. Not to mention, when the organization you work for is always unstable and poorly managed, it sets up all sorts of road blocks for advancement opportunities within.
In my professional experience, here is what I've experienced in my career:
Job 1: F500 company purchased by another within 1.5 years of employment. Mass layoffs, outsourcing, and redundancy eliminations ensued.
Job 2: Mid-size IT company where each year, ~10 or so employees were let go during an annual purge. Always feared for my job.
Job 3: Large company purchased by another within 6 months of employment. Mass layoffs and redundancy eliminations ensued.
Job 4: F500 healthcare company. Most stable by far, but turnover rate was high due to lack of pay and benefits.
Job 5: Mid-size non-profit healthcare company. Major re-org within a month of employment. Mass layoffs, manager fired, and an attrition rate of over 30% due to lack of organizational stability and poor management.
What inspired this thread is that my very close friend just moved across country for a local job, and they've just started laying masses off less than a year into her employment with them. She's now freaking out that she will be let go, because she just bought a house. I really feel for her, and we got to talking and came to the realization that this is the new normal. Stability is long gone and you have to constantly keep on your toes and be ready to look out for the next best opportunity.
Last edited by Left-handed; 08-22-2017 at 01:15 PM..
what does college grad have to do with being willing to work and not leave a job?
Perhaps reading comprehension isn't your strong suit, but I clearly explained that the instability in their work environments was not created by them. However, people desire stability and security, if you understand anything about our hierarchical needs depicted by Maslow. Therefore, they will often times seek out what they perceive to be a more stable environment.
All you describe been going on for years. My DH has worked for three companies over 36 years without ever changing his job: buyout, merger, divisional spin-off to other major corporations within his industry happened. Keep your skill sets up to date, don't become complacent and above all, stay flexible.
All you describe been going on for years. My DH has worked for three companies over 36 years without ever changing his job: buyout, merger, divisional spin-off to other major corporations within his industry happened. Keep you skill sets up to date, don't get too comfortable and above all, stay flexible.
I agree with you regarding keeping your skills up and staying flexible, but nobody is generally secure during these situations. I've witnessed everyone from directors to account executives to admins let go during these events. It doesn't matter who you are or what role you play in a company. Just about everyone is seemingly disposable, and it's reflected by how many people generally jump ship when a major event like this happens. Not to mention, some people don't want to have to deal with the typical 6 months to a year (or longer) ironing out process as companies adjust to the changes. Just about everything is put on hold while "synergies" are realized.
The flexible part is key, DH has morphed throughout the years. Good people aren't immune to being axed, but the marginal ones are usually the first to go. Sometimes it's as simple as being in the wrong place at the wrong time or not being able to see an opportunity in front of you.
DH took a promotion/transfer to the NE with higher COL. A year later the decentralizing leadership was out and the centralization team was in. DH's satelllite office was slated to close and did. He took a position in the field which was one of the best moves he ever made. It was a path he couldn't have predicted leading to where he is today, as was the transfer to the NE. It was hard to see that at the time though, while living through it.
Loyalty on both sides is hard to find anymore for many reasons. I don't think going back to a more stable time will happen anytime soon, if ever.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Left-handed
I work as a white collar professional, and generally associate with other white collar professionals outside of work. It seems like every person I know is experiencing or has recently experienced extreme volatility with their current and former employers. Re-orgs, layoffs, mergers, acquisitions, outsourcing, offshoring, etc. have become the new normal in Corporate America. As employees, we're always in a state of uncertainty and instability. And then people question why employees aren't loyal anymore, and why job hopping is becoming more prevalent. Well, here's your answer. I think employees want to stay put for the long term, but when they're constantly under threat of losing their job, they are going to move around more frequently in hopes to establish more stability in their lives. Not to mention, when the organization you work for is always unstable and poorly managed, it sets up all sorts of road blocks for advancement opportunities within.
In my professional experience, here is what I've experienced in my career:
Job 1: F500 company purchased by another within 1.5 years of employment. Mass layoffs, outsourcing, and redundancy eliminations ensued.
Job 2: Mid-size IT company where each year, ~10 or so employees were let go during an annual purge. Always feared for my job.
Job 3: Large company purchased by another within 6 months of employment. Mass layoffs and redundancy eliminations ensued.
Job 4: F500 healthcare company. Most stable by far, but turnover rate was high due to lack of pay and benefits.
Job 5: Mid-size non-profit healthcare company. Major re-org within a month of employment. Mass layoffs, manager fired, and an attrition rate of over 30% due to lack of organizational stability and poor management.
What inspired this thread is that my very close friend just moved across country for a local job, and they've just started laying masses off less than a year into her employment with them. She's now freaking out that she will be let go, because she just bought a house. I really feel for her, and we got to talking and came to the realization that this is the new normal. Stability is long gone and you have to constantly keep on your toes and be ready to look out for the next best opportunity.
Shorter economic and product cycles, global competition, political uncertainty, especially in a health care industry, movement away from specialization and specialized skill set. An engineer who knows how to sell will always have a job, especially compared to most engineers who don't.
Though I believe that opportunity often times arises out of change and volatility, it still does not make it easy to stick around during an unstable situation. Most of us have bills and mortgages and families to support. Whenever your employer says or indicates that there will be layoffs or a re org and that they can't say who will be impacted at this time, obviously many people are going to respond by seeking out a safer option. At least that is the case initially. If you stick around long enough, and survive the fallout, then maybe you can capitalize on some deficiencies that have arose in the aftermath.
I don't know many people who hear the term "layoffs" or "re org" and immediately think, "Great, I'm gonna ride this out because something great will surely come of it".
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