by Aias Katsaros, HR Manager & Recruiter | Workathlon
In every professional’s career comes the time that they will consider an alternative work option. This is especially accurate for hospitality employees, a sector that historically has a high turnover rate (We already talked about this issue in a previous article here).
While exciting, the possibility of job/employer/company change will bring with it uncertainty, and, in several cases, a lot of second-guessing yourself.
Why
When assessing if you should move on or not, there are several factors that someone should take under consideration. To begin with, review your current employment and your standing in the company, your achievements and your professional goals in the next few years.
Asking yourself the following questions will help you determine if the moment to begin looking for a new professional home has come.
What:
do you enjoy about your current job?
don’t you enjoy?
do you feel is missing?
have you enjoyed about any previous roles you had?
is the ideal situation for your professional self? How will you know when you have achieved it?
obstacles are in your way? Other than changing jobs, is there anything you can do to overcome them?
Try to be consistent with answering these questions. You can discuss them with people that are important to your life or you may seek for a professional career change expert’s advice.
Another good idea is to write them down. It’s always easier to make an accurate assessment of a situation if it’s clearly staring back at you from a piece of paper!
Besides a personal motivation that might push you to change jobs, there are several other reasons out of your control that might also contribute to it, including:
Possible financial difficulties of your employer
Your company moving into an area of business you don’t align with
Culture change in your company caused by a takeover or merger (learn about the importance of Hotel Culture in one of our previous articles here)
Collapse in communication with the management, supervisor or colleagues
Relocation of the company offices to a remote/inaccessible to you location
Some pointers that indicate you are ready for a change
1) You’re checked out
You still show up on time and complete the duties of your position, but outside of that, you just don’t care. This mindset will almost certainly, impact your performance. If you begin noticing a pattern that you’re putting in the bare minimum at work, you should ask yourself if you’re truly meant to be there.
2) You are in a constant situation of stress or unhappiness
Keep thinking that you are “used to stress” or the way you feel about your job in general? Stop for a bit and ask yourself if you truly wish to prolong this way of living.
If you are a professional that is in continuous contact with guests/clients like a Front Office Agent or Waiter, this specific point is really crucial to your work health. That is why the putting-the-bare-minimum effect will be greatly amplified due to the nature and requirements of these positions.
3) There’s no room for growth
If you value your career growth, make sure you don’t get stuck in one place for too long. In case of hospitality, this holds especially true for established city hotels where both management and staff remain in the same role for an excess of 6 years.
4) You no longer align with company values or culture
Perhaps you no longer believe in the mission and vision of the company, or if you are a long time in the company and the management/ownership has changed you may no longer fit with the corporate culture. Since a great portion of your daily life is invested in work, you probably want to spend it somewhere that’s a good fit with your behaviors and values.
Aligning with any of these signs? Check in with yourself and begin figuring out what you want out of your career!
When
Spotting when the time is right
If you do decide to leave a job, quitting on impulse may have a negative effect on several key factors.
Always plan your next career move prior to your departure. If a resignation is done without planning, it will affect your monthly cash flow and, unless you have already another job aligned, you can quickly find yourself in a tough financial position. Additionally, if you’ve got a long holiday planned, wait until you get back before handing in your notice. A new employer won’t take kindly to you booking two weeks off during your probation period.
Keep in mind that even if you are disillusioned on your company/position you should maintain a professional behavior and leave in the best terms possible.
Therefore, provide ample leave notice (2+ weeks and possibly more) of your intent to depart and if possible, try to time it so that it does not fall on a project deadline or peak work season of the company. That would cause disruption and excess stress to your co-workers.
Leaving on good terms can only benefit you in future endeavors since you can rely on your past company/coworkers/supervisors for references; you never know if you meet again at a later stage of your career. It is only prudent to always try and leave a good impression even when departing from company.
What about How Often and How you should switch employers? Stay tuned for the complete Workathlon Guide that will be out really soon!
