Want To Change Jobs? Do It Now
12 Jan 2010 (Human Resources)
For jobseekers looking to change jobs, Adrian Tan, managing director of RecruitPlus Consulting says now would be a good and opportune time to do so.
The reason for this is because there is lesser competition in the market now, and more people would be resigning now after receiving their Annual Wage Supplement bonus. "Coupled with the rebound of the market, there would also be brand new openings that require talent to fill," Tan adds.
As a result of the recession, Tan says employees who have transferrable skills would now have a competitive advantage over others - a skillset which was not highly valued prior to the downturn. Tan says the increase in companies looking out for these skills is because they now want to hire someone who can not only perform the role he was hired to do, but can also be expanded to handle other tasks and functions. "This gives [the] organisation more flexibility allocation of human resources," Tan adds.
The recession has also driven a wedge between the perceptions of companies and their workers, says Tan. Because some employers believe that their staff are contented to have a job during the downturn, many have exploited the situation by having their employees work longer hours with less pay. As such, employees face higher levels of stress but are at the mercy of employers. "This greatly strains the relationship and further reinforces a pent-up frustration which drives employees to jump as soon as opportunities surface," he adds.
On the employee front, many also now feel that company loyalty is not something valued by organisations. As such, Tan advises employees to have better planning and analytical skills to prevent similar levels of impact for when the next recession approaches. For instance, Tan says, "You should get a sense of the company you are in, how it is doing and if it still has any relevance to the market. If not, plan your move and craft out a backup plan before the company forces one on you."
But in order to retain employees, Tan says companies should have a long-term view and provide employees with support that they need. One example he cites is providing employees with work-life balance programmes, which he says is significant in retaining good talent. "Introduction of such policies in times like these would make a good example of the company as compared to other who might be extending working hours, slashing pays, or withholding bonuses."
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