Why do young people change jobs so often?

Illustration: TBS

The youth today is notoriously famous for their short attention spans, and now it seems that their average job tenure is starting to reflect that. In stark contrast to earlier generations, who often spent the majority of their careers within the confines of a single organisation, millennials and Generation Z young professionals are displaying a propensity for job hopping. 

This pattern, marked by a high turnover rate among young employees, begs the question: Why are they leaving? And perhaps more importantly, where are they going?

This phenomenon isn't merely a passing trend or a derivative of their lack of commitment; it's a complex interplay of various factors that significantly influence the decisions of young professionals. In the socio-economic context of Bangladesh, previous generations often valued stability and longevity in their careers. 

The youth today are instead in pursuit of maximising the return on their job investment. This goes beyond just getting fair compensation. Opportunities for learning, development, and upward mobility are prioritised equally. 

The short attention spans of these young professionals mean that they will become bored easily unless they are constantly challenged at the workplace. When they feel stagnated or perceive limited prospects for advancement within their current organisations, they are quick to seek out new challenges and experiences elsewhere. 

This holds particularly true for a small segment of privileged individuals who possess the financial means and resources to explore various career paths, confident in the knowledge that they have a safety net to fall back on if they fail. 

The cost of attrition is well-researched and known, and every other organisation has a retention policy in place. The cost of disengagement should be highlighted just as much, as lower productivity levels and compromised work quality have a direct impact on the bottom line.

Even with the proliferation of employee perks and benefits, numerous organisations face challenges in fostering environments that place a premium on employee engagement, well-being, and overall satisfaction. 

Factors like insufficient recognition, imbalanced work-life dynamics, and ineffective leadership often contribute to young employees feeling disconnected and disheartened, compelling them to search for more fulfilling opportunities elsewhere. 

Millennial employees seek a deeper connection to their work beyond mere job responsibilities, striving to understand how their roles contribute to the overall success and mission of the company. 

The new workforce are digital natives with a constant sense of urgency in their lives, and the shifting priorities are a testament to that. A large chunk of these individuals are not just shifting from one job to another, but also furthering the 'brain drain' problem by migrating to developed countries in search of better opportunities.

The prevalent issue of high turnover rates among young employees presents a unique opportunity for employers to reevaluate and redesign their strategies for talent retention. Recognising differences in background and perspective can help companies connect better with younger colleagues.

Employers who prioritise cultivating a positive workplace culture rooted in trust, respect, and transparency are better positioned to foster strong employee engagement and loyalty. Organisations need to invest in programmes to facilitate skill-building, career progression, and leadership cultivation, to truly engage employees. They need to be stimulated towards personal and professional advancement to develop loyalty towards an organisation.

We must remember that employers need to empower their human capital through employee-centric strategies to create a conducive and stimulating work environment with a strong commitment to a client-centric approach.

Illustration: TBS

Mamun Rashid is an economic analyst having worked for more than 35 years in global organisations.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.