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Why some young workers are job hoppers 

by Leila Salaverria

THREE years after his graduation from college, Jim Gabriel has already had four jobs.

Since getting his psychology degree in 2019, the 24-year-old Gabriel has worked as a graphic specialist, talent acquisition specialist, human resources assistant, and criminal search specialist.

Gabriel had left these jobs voluntarily, as he did not think these had been a good fit for him, despite the good compensation offered to him. 

“Mostly, I don’t find it fulfilling na, or sometimes nabuburnout ako dahil napepressure ako sa expectations ng mga tao sa paligid ko,” he said. 

It was not always easy for him to walk away from the job, but it was something he felt he had to do. 

Even when he had no other job offers lined up, he still resigned as he felt that the work was affecting him emotionally. 

“Happy naman ako with what I have achieved kahit palipat lipat ako ng work, nakapasok ako sa field na gusto ko at a young age. Siguro time naman para mag venture ako sa ibang field, something new to me na makakapagbigay ng satisfaction at burnout-free environment,” he said.

Gabriel’s story is not so rare among young workers, who have been hopping from one workplace to another.

Sometimes, this does not sit well with employers who get irked at the fast turnover among their young employees.

But why are some of them like this? Is it restlessness, a lack of commitment, or a desire to let go of responsibilities?

‘Dynamic’ generations

Psychologist Rainier Ladic said he understands why human resource personnel may view it as a negative if a person tends to jump from one company to another.

This could lead them to think of an applicant as a liability rather than as an asset because a company invests in the training of an employee, and it would be a loss if the employee leaves. 

But Ladic said there is a reason why some millennial and Gen Z workers are moving from one job to another. 

It is because they know what they want in a job, and they want to find it, he said. 

“Gen Zs and millennials, I think, are dynamic individuals. Since they are likely self aware, they may be much more sensitive to the criteria of the jobs that they are looking for,” he told republicasia. 

This could have both negative and positive implications.

This could be seen as negative in a way because constantly switching jobs could indicate a “poor coping strategy,” said Ladic. 

“It could be that there’s conflict in a job and they can’t handle it well, so they look for another job that will match what they wanted. It’s not very functional for an individual to do that,” he said.

On the other hand, moving from one job to another could be a positive when it comes to certain people as this could indicate that they “have much more awareness about their worth,” he said.

“It’s like they want the investment they made in themselves to be matched by the company, for them to really feel that what they worked hard for is bearing fruit,” he said.

This could bring about “a sense of well-being” in the company, he added. 

Not entitled, just informed

Ladic said the ready availability of a lot of information about jobs online has also made many of the young workers aware of what they could expect.

Many professionals are on TikTok talking about the ins and outs of their professions, he noted.

Young workers’ access to this kind of information helped them to prepare themselves and anticipate what jobs they think would be right for them. 

“It’s not really because this generation is feeling entitled,” he said. “They have this self-awareness to look for something that they deserve.” 

While some of the workers may be too sensitive, or what others derogatorily call “snowflakes,” the whole generation must not be generalized, he said. 

“We also need to process what the Gen Zs are experiencing. They seem to really filter the offers they receive, and try a lot of companies, because at the end of the day, they want to feel rewarded for all the efforts that they have done,” he said. 

Advice to employers 

Ladic said employers should not just look at the competency of the applicants. 

Companies should also look to upgrade their ways of taking care of their workers. 

“With the changing of the generations, there has to be changes as well within the company. It can’t just be traditional. They have to keep up with the trends so that they can really make their employees feel valued,” he said.

What’s next for Gabriel

At present, Gabriel is training to be a butcher so that he could work abroad.

It’s a drastic shift away from his training in psychology, but he’s happy with his decision as he’s looking for better compensation. 

“I don’t find the quality of employment here in the country dahil sobra sobra ang nasa job description kumpara sa kakarampot na sahod,” he said.

But aside from proper compensation, he said what would make him stay at any job is emotional security and an employee-friendly environment, one that is not abusive.  

Like most people of his generation, he will likely try to keep on finding the perfect job for him.

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