Are you switching jobs?
 

Everyone seems to be switching at the moment. You can understand their motivation with most companies punishing loyal employees with low wage increases since 2007 (and a few don't seem to have understood that conditions have changed) but the market seems to have went from tepid to a full boil in no time at all judging by my circle of friends. I'm hearing 20 to 30% increases for just playing what amounts to musical chairs with contracts!

So have you made a switch or will you be making a switch this year? What are your motivations?

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

What happened to the so-called 'Rock Star' economy of 2014 ? That didn't last very long and didn't trickle down very far or translate into every day wages - I saw news today that PSA health workers have declared strike action after turning down a laughable 0.7% increase.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

Yeah but healthcare workers are disposable, just ask your local DHB. 0.7% increase in nominal pay is probably a pay cut in real terms. Government workers are in a bind however as government colludes to suppress wages. Only if there are too few does government have to respond and at the moment getting staff is not an issue for most.


I’m not in HR but it seems to me part of the reason is also that many organisations are not in a position to identify talent and support rapid development. Often because their management culture is also stuck in a cycle of promoting seniority and as a result revenue growth is poor which perpetuates the problem. They tend to foster a culture that retains mediocre performers who fall in line.

As much as a buoyant job market it’s organisations that perpetuate disloyalty among staff by assuming that staff won’t take the extra pressure and stress that comes from switching jobs and hence will accept lower rates of pay. That works for some staff but it’s likely someone who is successful doesn’t seek the line of least resistance anyway so actually the people you really want are the ones most difficult to retain.

Depending on the organisation you are part of and how management if you are a consistent performer switching positions may be the best thing both for you, the organisation and society as it improves efficiency. Also according to Sheryl Sandberg the world is a jungle gym and not a ladder.

Maybe we should all be looking to push ourselves to switch every couple of years and put pressure back on employers to start paying properly and valuing loyalty. It's as much our own complacency at fault as any global situation :thumbup:.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

I am annoyed.

I switched jobs a few months ago, firstly because I really hated the one that I was in, secondly because I now get to work for the one company in NZ that is in the same line of business as I used to do when I lived in the UK.

A very modest pay rise accompanied the move.

It has taken me five years in this country to get a job I like. I realise take a move somewhere else now would bump the pay up but there is noone else in this country that I want to work for. Ah. :sick::sick:

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

It sounds like the market is a bit narrow unless you can set up shop yourself clappy?

Most of us have skills* that are more broadly applicable.

*By which I mean sycophantic schmoozing dressed as "networking" obv ;).

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

I heard today that it is not all one-sided.

The company I work for at the moment is struggling to find ICT staff however one recent candidate that they wanted to offer a role to demanded a higher salary than they were prepared to go to so that position remains unfilled.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

Multiple offers? HR should probably be asking what they could offer a candidate aside from remuneration. There just seems to be a lot of hiring, it's becoming a much more competitive market.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

Bloomberg is reporting the U.S. job market also looks like its picking up: Job Market Favors Workers as U.S. Enters Virtuous Cycle - Bloomberg

Wages to follow?

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

Just seen this thread Sorry!), after applying for more than 100 roles and trying every technique I could I don't feel it is a very hot market. It is in certain sectors i.e. software development, building related trades but not in others. There also seems to be a lot of CV 'fishing' happening out there with few real jobs actually there, and on top of that there are still significant amounts of people still being made redundant.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

That's interesting. Where are you based?

I just switched with a pay increase of slightly over 20% for a similar position. However I am Christchurch.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

I'm in Auckland, I have also seen a government report referring to Auckland flatlining with regards to new jobs. Additionally I know of several other people who have had the same experience, one who has had to take a contract in Wellington and flies down on a Sunday and back on a Thursday night.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

I concur with this. OH has been under threat from redundancy for 9 months now. Should find out in October one way or another, it has been extremely stressful and continues to be. He started to look for other jobs in March and there is very little out there at his level and above. He's also been looking at other countries and very little appears to be happening there. One recruitment consultant in Australia mentioned that the best market to be looking at in his field is the UK!!!!

So it looks like we may have to return which on the one hand I'm delighted about (I'll be able to do a return to practice course & get my midwifery career back :thumbsup:) on the other, I shall miss a lot about NZ.

So no, no huge salary rises here.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

Of course I don't the field being talked about but actually I don't think there are that many jobs in the UK and from what I see the wages are pretty depressed again.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

Procurement and there are quite a few jobs from what I can gather. Salaries are not fantastic but it depends on location obviously. In limbo land for now.

Re: Are you switching jobs?
 

That's true, I have actually seen quite a few supply chain management roles in ICT over the last few months, but they may not have been all that they seemed either. Sorry you're in limbo :(