Much has been made recently of the “Great Resignation” era of the last couple of years. Employees have been leaving their current employment in record numbers to start with other companies, to begin their own businesses, or exit the workforce. The exodus has been especially profound within the Millennial and Generation Z groups.
Unfortunately, a recent study indicates that all is not rosy for employees during the “Great Resignation”. According to a survey by “The Muse” (a research company focused on Millennial and Generation Z groups), 72% of those who departed their job in these age groups regretted the decision. A primary driver of this “buyer remorse” was that the position and/or company that they expected did not materialize once they joined.
Another phenomenon associated with this situation is that those resigning are doing so in a shorter time period and jumping back into the workforce. It used to be that you tried to stick out a less than ideal situation for a year or two before considering a return to the labor market. Individuals are now feeling the resignation regret and leaving their new company in a matter of just months. Unfortunately, if they have not learned from what caused them to leave their employment for a worse situation, then they are probably destined to repeat the scenario.
There are a variety of reasons that this disconnect between expectations and reality may have occurred. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons and what you can do, as a savvy Job Seeker, to increase your awareness of any potential problems and make sure you course correct your decision making.
• Research Was Not Done: In today’s job search market, everything seems to happen so much faster than it used to. In previous generations, you had days or even weeks between steps to research the employer and job. Now, recruiters try to jump immediately on any resume that looks good, and the entire process can sometimes take only days. This is great for efficiencies, but not ideal if you want to do your due diligence. A key is for you to control the pace and not be intimidated by a Hiring Manager or Recruiter who wants to move faster than you are comfortable. Take the time to do an online search of the company to find out what their reputation in the community may be through employees or the media. Try to find financial information on the company and review it to get a sense of stability and potential growth. If you already know someone who has worked there or currently does, then be sure to contact that person for the inside information.
• The Right Questions Were Not Asked: Sometimes, everything is going so smoothly that you either subconsciously forget or never get around to asking some important questions regarding culture and supervisor style. It is important for you to get answers to any open concerns you may have, and don’t allow the “selling” being done by the prospective employer get in your way of doing this.
• Company or Job Preview Was Not Realistic: Today’s recruiters are as much salespeople as anything else. In this competitive labor market, their job is to convince you to accept a position with them and not a competitor. While I would certainly hope that no employer would consciously misrepresent themselves or the job, you can expect that they will present everything in the best light possible. This is why it is not only important to do your research, but insist on meeting your prospective supervisor and (if relevant) receive a tour of the facility that you will be working in. Be sure to obtain a copy of the Job Description and review it thoroughly, asking any questions necessary.
• Information Was Not Verified: As mentioned above, there is a big emphasis on recruiters to sell you on the current role and the company. It is up to you to make sure you have the correct information in the right context to make your decision. If something is not clear, then ask. Also, try to externally verify anything you have in question via an online search or reaching out to someone who may know. Of course, if you find something misleading or outright incorrect that was presented, then that should be a major warning sign which we will cover next.
• Warning Signs Were Ignored: A savvy Job Seeker, before they begin any job search (even a passive one), will be very clear regarding what they want (and don’t want) in a new position and employer. Be sure to reference this list with the information you have gathered from this prospective company, to ensure that there is a positive match and do not any glaring warning signs. If there is a “deal breaker”, then treat it like that and not accept the position. If something is that important to you, then it is almost impossible to be able to successfully workaround such an obstacle. As noted above, things can work very fast during the recruiting process, especially when at the offer stage. Be sure to control your own destiny by taking whatever time is needed to review the entire situation and your options, to ensure that leaving your current employer is the best move.
Making the decision to join a new employer should be a major event in not only a person’s career, but also their life. It is not something that should be casually decided upon. Do your due diligence during the recruitment process, to make sure that the prospective position and employer is right for you. Doing the work on the front end will go a long way to make sure you don’t suffer from resignation regret.
As always, the best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of WNYJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at: Joe Stein
