A recent reality in the workplace is having to hire people who you know are only going to stay for a maximum of two years. In fact, for the past few decades, people who have stayed in the same job for more than two years were criticized as being inflexible, stuck-in-a-rut or afraid of new challenges. However, when you look back prior to the technology era, just some thirty years ago, the ideal employee was one who would have retired with a gold watch after forty years of loyal service to the same company. In fact, those who changed jobs frequently were considered to be “flakey” and to lack commitment.
Interestingly, the pendulum has begun to swing back to a more “middle ground” in which many organizations are again placing high value on employees who commit to staying for a while – but this time the optimal length is a 3-5 year run. This makes sense, as people begin to hit their stride regarding workplace competencies at approximately, two and a half years. Additionally, employees themselves began to realize that amazing credibility lessons and personal accountability growth can be had by sticking it out with a company longer, persisting in the intimate process of working alongside people over time.
If longer term commitment, persistence and loyalty are indeed coming back into stye, then companies might want to start stocking up on those gold watches!