With the job market hotting up, some people will be wondering whether it’s the right time to leave their current employment. Salaries are on the move upwards and often the grass seems greener elsewhere. You may be wondering “should I stay or should I go now?”
If you are trying to decide whether the time is right for a move, here are a few thoughts:
- How long have I been in this role / does my CV convey that I’m a loyal employee?
If you have been in your current roles for less than a year it may still be ok to move, but only if previous roles are for two plus years (or less but for good reason). - Am I still learning and developing?
Careers progress when you are building your experiences and competencies – if the (senior) people around you are helping you grow and learn, or if you are getting the opportunity to develop new skills (with training and support) that make you more valuable to most organisations, then it may be worth staying where you are. - Am I fairly rewarded?
This is a monetary thing (obviously) – and benchmarking is pretty straightforward by checking the many salary surveys and maybe asking friendly recruiters for their view. Reward though goes beyond money. Benefits have a place too and of course this requirement differs per person. Sometimes it’s more about recognition and being valued by your bosses. It will be clear to you whether you get thanked for your efforts and whether the business cares about the care you take over your role. If your bosses are careless, you should perhaps about a move - Do I fit into the culture / does the culture fit me?
Culture is a funny thing – it’s easy to define superficially, but in detail is much harder to capture. Assessing whether there is fit is easy from the inside but much harder from the outside. Culture is created and nurtured in part by behaviours and the behaviours of the most senior people usually make the most impact. If you see or hear about behaviours that grate against your own values there may not be a good fit. Everyone is human, so if a single event distresses you it may be worth staying – everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, but if behaviours and events are more frequently troubling you it may be time to move.
If you do decide to consider a move it makes sense to list the things that will be important to you in finding the right next role. Make note of your non-negotiables and your bottom line. Doing this before you are courted by recruiters is good practice as you will then have a framework to measure each opportunity against.
If you decide to stay where you are after your evaluation then that’s a good decision also, as if career timing, development, reward and culture all fit you then you are one of the lucky ones – or maybe you worked hard to find the right role last time!
If you are considering a move we’d love to hear from you – we also work hard to find the right candidates for the right roles – that’s our USP.
