Call me loyal? Never!

By STEVE HART

What's in it for me? That's the question on the minds of young people at work - part of a new breed of workers who are not sentimental about their employers and are constantly looking for their next move up.

That's according to a survey of more than 1000 people in Britain which corresponds with anecdotal evidence here, says Kay Avery, careers management consultant at recruitment firm Pohlen Kean.

"People under 35 are more self-reliant than older workers and are basically saying, 'We had to pay for our education, we have the student loans, so we are going to make the decisions'.

"These people are highly educated and self aware, they are on a constant learning process and have embraced the culture of life-long learning.

"This is something employers need to realise to keep staff stimulated.

"Meanwhile, the older worker is still getting to grips with the concept of taking more responsibility for their careers. It takes a lot of adjustment and getting used to."

The British survey by John Salkeld Research for career consultants Penna Sanders & Sidney, which works with Pohlen Kean in international recruitment, set out to discover the level of loyalty among workers of all ages and job types.

It found a growing flighty workforce, a third of which start to look for their next job within days of starting a new one. They are single-minded and are aiming for the top. Each employer is a stepping stone.

Kerr Inkson, Professor of Management at Massey University, says an increase in part-time and self-employed workers, constant restructuring at work and the fear of redundancy, has led to loyalty levels dropping.

The reports reveals the emergence of workers who are constantly on the lookout for a better deal and ready to make the leap to another employer if their present one cannot accommodate their career aspirations or personal development needs.

These people represent a challenge to employers who need to learn how to retain and attract talent.

Avery said: "For New Zealand businesses to be internationally competitive we need adaptable, highly motivated people, keen and ready for the next challenge. Employees with these qualities are our richest resource, yet capturing their hearts and minds is often problematic.

"Employees are attracted by perceived or promised opportunities from their new employers. While organisations invest significantly in their recruitment and selection processes, it is common that new employees often become disillusioned when their new and 'exciting' role when the employer doesn't meet their expectations.

"Employees expect their employer to stimulate them with learning opportunities and give them reasons to stay. Managers need to be more skilled in understanding employees."

The cost of recruitment is estimated to be three times an annual salary, says Avery. This equation takes into account recruitment costs, disruption to the company between the person leaving and the new one starting, training and time needed to bring the new person up to speed and the loss of knowledge and experience caused by the person leaving.

"Having completed the recruitment and selection process the retention of talented staff remains the greatest challenge," says Avery.

More than two-thirds of those who took part in the survey keep an eye on the job market for new opportunities and most have low expectations of loyalty from their employer.


Employees are willing and ready to move for a better deal. More than a third of respondents do not expect to be with an employer in 12 months' time.

This suggests a significant proportion of people have already made a psychological break with their job.

The fact that more than two-thirds keep their CVs up to date, just in case they need to move fast to capture a new job opportunity, seems to confirm this.

The research suggests the buoyant employment market has made employees confident that they will find alternative work even if they are made redundant or decide to move jobs.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed say they feel in control of their careers. The majority believe it is themselves and not economic forces that will determine the shape and progress of their futures.

Dale Gray, director of recruitment firm Momentum, says: "Employees are developing themselves. It's a matter of, 'Hey, how do I make myself better from a skills perspective'. So they will go where they can to to get the most advantageous learning experience.

"Where the pressure is coming on is in the high-volume, lower-skilled roles, such as fruit pickers and customer service jobs. The other area where it hurts is in the professionally qualified jobs paying around $60,000 to $80,000.

"Job tenures at the senior end are longer. Once people get into those jobs they stay in them a bit. Unlike younger people, their motivators are more traditional.

"They tend to work on a relationship basis with their employer - mutual loyalty, respect and having a link with the organisation."