I’ve been pondering this question for some time and wanted to really dive into why or why not loyalty to your employer is important in 2020.
I was once told by a former employer that he would never consider interviewing someone who had not been at their current job for at least five years. This seemed like an awfully long time to me and as unhappy as I was at the time, it made me feel like I should stay there for five years because future employers might not consider me.
About 3 months after this, I handed in my notice and moved on to another employer, for a lesser salary but more opportunity for career progression. It took me a long time to come to this decision, wondering if I was doing the right thing and if i’d be able to manage on my new salary. However, what kept me motivated to make the move was the fact that i’d reached a senior level in my current role and there would be little room for progression or further salary increase should I continue to stay there.
Being a Loyal Employee
So this is where I actually get to the point about loyalty, what would I have gained by being loyal to that employer? The promise of a salary increase and then a small increase in 12 months’ time? It just wasn’t worth hanging around on a ‘maybe’ for another 3 years, just to prove my loyalty.
I believe that you can still be a loyal employee, whether you’re with your employer for 6 months, two years or longer. In my last role, I was there for six months and in the end it wasn’t quite what I expected so I made the decision to move on, which many people wouldn’t dream of doing for fear of looking unreliable on their CV. Isn’t it time we stopped measuring a person by the length of time they’ve been with an employer? Surely we should be looking at the skills they possess and what they learned in that role.
Moving On
In the modern world of work, and the millennial generation, there are far more opportunities available if you have the balls to move on instead of staying with an employer out of loyalty. Moving on every couple of years will allow you to learn new skills, as well as increase your salary much quicker than hoping for an increase each financial year. It will also give you the opportunity to find out what it is you really like doing and therefore encourage you to tailor your job search next time, based on the aspects of your career you really enjoy.
For me, learning new skills and feeling challenged is a big part of what I look for in a job and when that goes away, I know it’s time for me to either raise the issue or start looking for something else. I feel like you can go a little ‘stale’ in a role without new and exciting aspects to keep you motivated which is where your job runs the risk of becoming mundane and boring. This is not to say that it’s my employer’s fault, it just means that our time has come to an end where they can’t offer me anything further and I therefore can’t offer them anything more; it’s mutual.
In my humble opinion, there is nothing worse than staying in a job because you feel like you haven’t been there long enough and it will look bad on your CV. If you’ve stopped learning in your role and have no room for progression, you will likely feel miserable and therefore less productive, so there is little point in hanging around – you’re not benefitting anyone. Think about it, what are you and your employer going to gain from you staying there out of fear?
Employer Loyalty
This also brings me to a point about employer to employee loyalty; if you’re currently unhappy in your role, look at your current employment situation and ask yourself if your boss would think twice about making you redundant should the business need arise. If the answer is no or you’re unsure then what are you waiting around for?
Traditionally, people would have two pages to their CV which covered their whole professional career, I’m 26 and my CV is a full two pages already with some jobs missed out as they are no longer relevant to my chosen profession. The point is, it’s a completely unrealistic expectation to expect someone to stay with one employer for many years at a time, especially with the increase of the gig-economy and flexible working.
I’d love to hear what other people think on this, do you agree with me or are you loyal to the core? Maybe you’re an employer who can tell me why loyalty is so important to you when looking for a new recruit. Get in touch!
