New Job Offer?... Is The Grass Always Greener

Many people work in stable jobs, with a steady income, and have built solid working relationships with their colleagues. A minority of those become disgruntled by factors including feeling under-valued, unable to progress and generally dissatisfied. Workforce members may seek opportunities elsewhere. For some, they will relish the new surroundings, and quickly get up to speed and take to the job like a duck to water. As the famous old song goes the grass is always greener…the sun shines brighter on the other side.

However, a recent survey carried out for the American newspaper the USA Today found that more than twenty-five percent of persons who leave a steady job role, seeking out new opportunities to build their skills and move on to pastures new in a seemingly better job enjoy the position sufficiently to stay in the role. A survey carried out in 2017 for CareerBuilder alarmingly found that just short of seventy percent of new staff had commenced employment with a new employer only to decide less than half a year that the role did not meet their expectations and left employment. Of those surveyed a large proportion terminated their employment well a half-year period. Interestingly less than forty percent of so-called newbies decided to persevere with the new job.

Reality Check

In the vast majority of cases, all is fine. However, there is a small minority of instances whereby the adage is true to act in haste and repent at leisure. In this regard, a small proportion, some thirty percent of the workforce who make the decision to jump ship for an alternative position in another business soon discover that the new job promised in the job specification, application process and interview process is not the one described to them. These persons soon discover that they are seemingly sold a false prospectus and the position is not what they expected.

What Don’t New Employees Not Like About Their New Jobs?

In 2017 a survey carried out by CareerBuilder found that new employees faced challenges when starting the new jobs such as:

• Employer style of management
• role specification was not what was promised in the job-specification, selection process, and interviews
• lack of communication from the employer about how their role aligns with the wider goals of the organisation
• a perceptively negative working environment, culture, and surroundings and
• the seemingly toxic combination of long-distance travel, accompanying costs, and lack of quality family time.

How Can Employers Enable New Employees to Adjust To Their New Job Roles?

Employers can be doing more to more to help new colleagues to adapt by making the working atmosphere happier as more content colleagues are generally more productive, allow colleagues to progress, offer realistic promotion opportunities and ensure colleagues are being listened to and their ideas valued.

How Can New Employees Keep Their Jobs?

Prospective new employees should be clarifying what they dislike about the new role. This is important as employees need to communicate what they do not enjoy about the particular role and be specific about what is making them feel this way. This suggested approach may help employees feeling like this find out the reasons behind it, what is troubling them and identifying how to improve things. If they can find the root-cause the colleague will have a higher chance of rectifying the issue, being more successful in the role and if it does not work out in the present position then this will help the person to find a better suiting job because an alternative position will be better matched to them.

ASSESSING FIRMS

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THE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN USING THE FOLLOWING SOURCES

[1] Johnston, Ian – The Grass Isn’t Always Greener For Employees Switching Roles – 16 June 2022 - The grass isn’t always greener for employees switching roles (peoplemanagement.co.uk)

[2] Davidson, Paul – I let money get in the way: Most recent job quitters have regrets or don’t plan to stay in the new role – USA Today - Great Resignation: Most workers who recently quit jobs have regrets (usatoday.com)

[3] Luckwaldt, Jen – Things You Can Do When you Hate Your New Job – 2 February 2022 – The Balance - Things You Can Do When You Hate Your New Job (thebalancecareers.com)

[4] Nearly Three in Four Employers Affected by a Bad Hire, According to a Recent CareerBuilder Survey – CareerBuilder – 7 December 2017 - Nearly Three in Four Employers Affected by a Bad Hire, According to a Recent CareerBuilder Survey - Dec 7, 2017