New Zealand’s employers more accepting of job hoppers

Press release

New Zealand’s employers more accepting of job hoppers: Survey

Millennials more likely to be job hoppers than Gen X and baby boomers

• New Zealand hiring managers consider someone who has made an average of six job changes over a 10-year period to be a job hopper.

• Compared to five years ago, 74% say they would be willing to hire a candidate who has a history of job hopping.

• 79% think millennial generation workers are job hoppers, compared to 58% of Generation X professionals and 36% of baby boomers.

Auckland, 22 May 2019 – New independently-conducted research commissioned by specialised recruiter Robert Half reveals almost three-quarters (74%) of New Zealand hiring managers would be more willing to hire a candidate who has a history of job hopping, with a job hopper being defined as someone who has made an average of six job changes within a 10-year period.

How do job hoppers compare across the ditch?

Similar attitudes towards job hoppers apply across the ditch, as Australia’s hiring managers consider someone who has made an average of five job changes within a 10-year period to be a job hopper, and more than two-thirds (71%) would be more willing to hire a candidate who has a history of job hopping.

Which generation is more likely to be a job hopper?

Job hopping is overwhelmingly more prevalent among New Zealand’s millennials[1] as almost eight in 10 (79%) New Zealand hiring managers think millennial-aged workers are job hoppers. This compares to 58% who think New Zealand’s Generation X[2] workers are job hoppers and just over one in three (36%) who consider baby boomers[3] to be job hoppers.

The positives of job hopping

While many employment changes in a short time span can give hiring managers cause for concern, the majority (97%) of New Zealand employers acknowledge there are also advantages linked to changing jobs frequently. The positive consequences of job hopping for employees, as identified by New Zealand hiring managers, include: the chance to learn more skills (44%), faster career progression (39%), more experience across different industries (38%), higher salary progression (38%) and resilience to change (34%).

Megan Alexander, General Manager of Robert Half New Zealand said: “The widespread stigma around job hopping is fading as New Zealand employers show signs of increasing acceptance of candidates who change jobs frequently – particularly in a skills-short market where the availability of talent is scarce. As millennials continue to dominate the workforce, the generational shift in attitudes towards job hopping is changing in their favour especially.”

The negatives of job hopping

Yet switching employment on a regular basis can also have significant downfalls. Professionals who frequently change jobs should not disregard the potential pitfalls, with the negative consequences of job hoppers, as identified by hiring managers, being: lack of job security (41%), missing out on professional development (37%), increased stress (35%), less influence on company strategies (35%) and missing out on being part of a team (34%).

“Job hopping has become more common in New Zealand’s employment market, but employers should still be cautious of any red flags when considering job hoppers for a vacant role. It’s important to consider a candidate’s real motivations for switching roles frequently and after short periods. Recruiting can be costly, so employers must ensure job hopping isn’t a sign of negative character traits such as flippancy, a lack of commitment or disloyalty,” concluded Megan Alexander.

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Notes to editors

About the research

The annual study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted in December 2018 by an independent research firm, surveying 300 hiring managers in New Zealand and 620 hiring managers in Australia. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management and trends in the workplace.

About Robert Half

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialised recruitment consultancy and member of the S&P 500. Founded in 1948, the company has more than 300 offices worldwide providing temporary, interim management and permanent recruitment solutions for accounting, finance and technology in New Zealand. More information on roberthalf.co.nz.

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[1] Millennials are those born between 1977 and 1995.

[2] Generation X are those born between 1965 and 1976.

[3] The Baby Boomer Generation are those born between 1946 and 1964.

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