Has the motivation for career change shifted since COVID?

When we look at change management COVID really hit everyone with a suddenness of unplanned change and this meant a lack of training and resources for remote work to commence.

This means that the view during this period was that there was real disruption in work life balance.

What we did at this point as employers was invited the personal life into the work life and now this connection has remained and has become crucial in the relationship between employer and individual. In making this shift- we naturally also made a shift in the factors that influence an employees decision to change roles.

There are a few key changes and shifts we’ve seen take place which have impacted job seekers looking at making a change and being aware of them as a potential employer will help you stay ahead of your competitors.

1-????They want connection

I actually have a lot of job seekers requesting face-to-face meetings wherever possible. Understanding that it can sometimes be convenient with remote project work and travel times to opt for teams- however being able to have a conversation and read non-verbal cues in a face to face setting shouldn’t be underestimated.

?I recently had a job seeker willingly request to travel one hour to see the client face to face because he just wouldn’t know if the career opportunity was a fit without seeing the people he would work with and the environment firsthand.

Whilst new contemporary solutions and communication channels have been a great factor in enabling hybrid working models there is definitely also a shift now for people wanting to return to face to face or even establishing connection through other touch points and if face to face isn’t an option. One effective method when relocating someone from another region is to help create and facilitate a connection with the new Manager early on also has a big weight on whether the person will make the move.

?We recently had a Senior Engineer on offer who had been with her employer over 7 years and wanted to return home. After the initial interview we opened the communication channels and got her in touch with the Direct Manager she’d be working with on a regular basis and he was communicating directly about project scope, her career trajectory and every question whilst she had us as a sounding board to chat to. That connection established was vital to her accepting the offer.

People are seeking connection in a recruitment process and are wanting a lot more of that type of authentic and transparent interactions with their new manager and team and rather than trying to control the process- the role as Recruiter is now more than ever, the career coach and facilitator of the process.

2-????Job seekers are looking at roles and companies that fit their lives- not the other way round

Interviewing people has always been a two way street but now creating a role and moulding the position around the right individual has become more prevalent. Gone are the days of a prescriptive job brief and searching for someone who ticks all the boxes- now we look at the right candidate and figure out what a company needs to do to motivate them, inspire them, meet their family needs or their personal commitments.

COVID has taught us that whether we like it or not, our work has a big impact on the quality of our whole life and therefore it makes sense to consider the whole person and their lifestyle in the job offering too. You’ll gain a lot more loyalty from it.

We speak from experience having recently hired two single Mothers and enabling them to have that flexibility to do pick up, attend hobbies and work their lives with their young children around recruiting. Never having to choose.

The results? Outstanding performance and dedication.

Trust fosters loyalty. Don’t make your employees “earn that trust”, rather give them that trust up front and watch them reward you with exceptional performance. If you’ve hired right that’s what will happen.

3-????The travel bug is biting again

I’m hearing a lot more interest these days in travelling for a particular demographic of Engineers. The excitement of going to new places and learning new skills still has it’s appeal but it is about appealing to those who are motivated by the thrill of adventure and new challenges. Those people are out there and it’s up to all of us to entice them with the right roster, career development pathway or understanding fully the project scope and what it offers them for their career progression and trajectory.

If there’s one theme coming through clearly in the current job market it is that in an interview perhaps an employee should seek to understand before being understood- then they may find themselves with a higher success rate of accepted job offers from leading talent in the market.

What are some of the ways you are seeing motivation to change roles shift?

We’d love to hear about it so share in the comments.?