ShareThisYou would think that with the national unemployment rate above 9 percent that those who are employed would hang onto their jobs for dear life.
You would be wrong.
Despite the lousy job market, the number of U.S. workers voluntarily leaving their jobs is at the highest level in nearly three years, according to Robert Half International, a management, accounting and technology recruiting firm.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that in June, 1.9 million people gave notice they were leaving, up from 1.5 million in January 2010. And in surveys done by Robert Half, 45 percent of respondents said they planned to leave their jobs in 12 to 18 months.
Carrie Haglund, Wexford, Pa., branch manager for Robert Half, sees two primary reasons behind the eagerness to change employers: workers feel overworked and underappreciated at their current jobs; and they feel underpaid after two to three years in which their workload increased, but not their salary.
"And, in addition to salary, things may have been cut such as holiday parties, expenses or benefits," Haglund said. "They just feel like they are not appreciated as they maybe once had been."
Workers, particularly among the professional ranks, are starting to hear about friends or colleagues moving on to better jobs, and that gets them thinking about it, too, she said.
"We've seen a high number of hires for manufacturing and in oil and gas" with hiring ranging from general office staff to accountants to administrative positions.
"As orders start to pick up, they need those employees in the office setting to handle invoices, handle increased payroll, answering the phones and staffing the customer service help desk."
Employers may be fooling themselves if they think the unemployment numbers and still-struggling economy will keep their best staff members onboard, she said. "Just because an employee has been there for 10 years doesn't mean (he's) going to be there another 10 years. There are jobs, especially for a skilled and talented workforce."
While the overall unemployment rate may be 9.1 percent, Haglund said that for those with specialized skills and a degree -- associate, bachelors or masters -- "You're really looking at 2 to 3 percent unemployment."
She makes two suggestions for employers: Take proactive steps to retain key employees but have a plan in place if they leave.
"Get a read on current employees for signs" they may be thinking of leaving, such as a change in their attitude, a drop in their productivity, taking longer breaks or making more out-of-office appointments than usual. "Those are definitely signs."
One strategy for the unexpected, sudden departure is to cross-train current staff so someone can step in immediately. But Haglund said additional training should not be done in the context of just adding to that person's workload; some of the individual's previous duties should be reassigned to others.
If a key staff member does leave, she added, it could be an opportunity to promote from within, signaling others that the company appreciates and wants to retain its in-house talent.
She also warns employees not to flaunt the fact that they're job hunting by, say, showing up at the business casual office wearing interview-ready formal business attire. While that might set off attempts by management to persuade the individual to stay, it could also instead launch initial planning for a farewell party.
While there may be early signs the job market is improving, she said, workers still need to get their ducks in a row. "Make sure you have another job before you quit."
(Contact Steve Twedt at stwedt(at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
