Four Years or For Years?
Four years… or for years?
I am removing my HR hat as I write this, not looking practically at the ‘hows’, but simply considering the ‘what ifs’.
If every employment position was time-limited to four years and after four years it came to an end, then you could choose to reapply or not, (for which you might be successful or not)… how would this change the approach of both employees and employers?
Thinking about where you are now, would you re-apply for your current role? If not, then why are you still there? ?
For employers, if you were hiring them now, would they get the job? If not, then why are they still on the team?
No room for complacency
The four-year term is commonplace in politics and election cycles, but what would the impact be in everyday roles. Would people be more likely to stay the four years and then see it as a natural break point to move on? Employers would surely need to up their game to ensure people re-apply.
A fixed four-year term would ensure that no one becomes complacent – employees or employers – there would be no room for coasting on either side. More competition, more opportunities, more need to be the best you can be.
A four-year term that applied to all, including leadership and management roles, provides massive opportunity for progression and fresh ideas and thinking coming into key roles within the business. This could be game-changing in terms of driving the business forward but could also lead to a lack of consistency and a constant state of flux which may become chaotic.
Other downsides could be the lack of certainty or security, removing the ability for long term planning and ultimately impacting individuals’ mental wellbeing – the helpless feeling of the inevitable. The disruption and focus on ‘re-employment’ rather than the work itself.
Change for good
Or would we get used to it??Would knowing that change is coming every four years help us to adapt and embrace change?
Jobs themselves change over time.?
·??????Is the role you are doing now the one you were recruited for??
领英推荐
·??????Has it evolved or morphed into something else??
·??????Are you pleased with the change?
Then there is the complacency that may develop once you feel embedded within a company and secure in your role. Is your job security or comfort actually preventing you from progressing or making a career move?
I am guilty of previously being stuck in a rut with my career. I enjoyed my role at the time, I gave it my all, but it was also comfortable, easy and lacked any avenues for progression. A four-year term would have forced me to take stock and question if I wanted to re-apply and stay or to move on. At the time I didn’t realise I was stuck.?As they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Length of service
Given that the average length of service is dropping – especially for technology companies - would employees ever actually fulfil a four-year term? Or does knowing that something isn’t permanent make you more likely to stick it out for the term of the agreement? I am sure there is psychology that could help answer these questions, but I equally believe that everyone is an individual and would respond in different ways.
‘Fire and rehire’ - which is when an employer fires an employee and offers them a new contract, often on less favourable terms - is an unsavoury approach and something I hope doesn’t become commonplace. It feels short-sighted and a numbers game that toys with people’s lives. Through the publicity it has received, it has brought the realisation for many that job security is only as good as your notice period.
Growth
At Roq we believe work should be inspiring, rewarding and enjoyable. We work hard to be a great employer where everyone feels valued and appreciated. We invest in our people and their development, helping them progress as individuals to achieve their career ambitions – we love to grow together, providing each other with fantastic opportunities along the way.
I am proud that we don’t run the business on numbers alone. We put people front and centre, focusing on a prosperous future together. There is no appetite for complacency, and we never take anything for granted. We don’t need a four-year term to keep us on our toes – we are already there!
Evolution
Whilst I don’t advocate a four-year term for roles, I do feel it poses some interesting questions. The world of work is always evolving with new challenges and opportunities along the way, and we need to adapt. Questioning and reframing how we view situations can help to broaden our thinking and consider elements that might have otherwise been missed.
Is being in a role for years and years the best option, or is four years better than for years?
COO, Executive Director, SMF4, SMF24. Strategic, customer-centric and results-driven leader, motivated by opportunities to accelerate pace and impact.
10 个月Thanks Sarah Jane Riggott - I think those questions: “would you reapply now? and “would you re-employ now?” are really powerful prompts to focus on the positives as well as as the potential of current and future scenarios.
Delivery Lead
2 年Really good article. For me: I've always wanted to stick with a single employer long term, but usually I've found that the commitment in me was not what I needed it to be. Perhaps evidence that a career path was laughable would become apparent, opportunities to grow my role were limited or the investment in me through my wage meeting inflation was lacking. On the last point: I cannot remember the last time I had a pay increase that met inflation. Changeing jobs is all too often the only way to ensure that you don't become financially worse off year after year.
Digital & Cyber Ecosystem Development ?? Connecting Innovators ?? North West ??
2 年When I was in employment I found that 18 months was my tenure generally, afterward I started to get itchy feet and would need something beyond. Having been through redundancy twice I can imagine a four year tenure would paralyse some people. However, my naughty side would be interested to see your theory play out in some public sector environments.
Enterprise Account Manager @ Fuuse - Reducing carbon emissions in transport
2 年Great post Sarah Jane Riggott, really interesting thoughts on the changing workplace! I'm sure the remote-first policies have expedited this too.
Leadership | Quality | Problem Solving | AI
2 年Nice article, I see people who are great and happy in their role and have done it for 10 years, I also see people who are, we’ll let’s say ‘Peter Principle’. Personally for me it’s all about adding value, stay as long as you are needed, that includes not kidding yourself that you can make a difference. Footballers are a great example of contract based employment, and fans know who are running down their contract and who needs a new contract. The model could work for regular jobs, and in a sense already does. For all the talk of culture, how often does someone move from company A to B without a pay rise? Your job security is only as good as your notice period (despite contractors not being able to get mortgages!). Recruiters will head hunt any move for a fee and people will not hessitste to leave a company who would not hessitste to replace them. The myth is that perm roles are more secure than contracts. The reality is that nether role is planned propertly. Contractors work along side perm for years (see IR35)!