Although job mobility can influence job satisfaction, it may be more about job variety instead. Regardless, even with implemented programs, there may be unexpected consequences and experiences for participants and those around them.
I’ll take Door #3, Monty
In the rush to label problems, we can fail to uncover root causes and we end up trying to solve a problem that perhaps doesn’t exist. People changing jobs isn’t a bad thing for employees or companies; it just hurts a little when it happens. It’s when it happens too often, when there is a problem that needs fixing. Moreover, while career changes are not uncommon, whole-hearted, successful changes across core areas are exceedingly rare, like artists becoming engineers or accountants going into marketing.
Let’s skip the exceptions for now and try to better define the type of mobility expected from a career “change”. At its core, it’s about doing something different. This could mean doing a new job altogether or doing something different in your current role, like project work. If it’s about doing something different, then by providing work variety, we should be able to address the desire for mobility (and thereby improve retention).
HYPOTHESIS
| Maybe job mobility is not the problem, rather it’s about job variety. |
(Aside: The more I dwell on this, the more obvious it comes. This is especially the case if we apply a generational lens to the desire for job mobility and look at employee expectations in post-pandemic world. More on that shortly.)
Let’s look at the consulting (professional services) industry to test one extreme of our theory out: work with lots of variety. With the average tenure at top consulting companies being between two to four years and client work being extremely varied, it would seem to contradict our theory that work variety helps with retention. That said, the most cited reasons for leaving consulting had to do with lifestyle changes or a change in the type of work altogether, e.g., leaving for a non-profit or starting up a business1 , not internal mobility.
Also, consultancies are known to attract individuals that are highly self-motivated to learn and experience as much as they can. It’s reasonable to assume that once they have sufficiently achieved this goal, they choose to pursue an area that is better aligned to their long-term goals.
If we look at companies not in the professional services industry, the opposite is mostly the case: workers have dedicated roles they perform within the company and seldom have the opportunity to perform temporary project-based work. To address this, many companies are creating “gig” or opportunity marketplaces that match needs and interests around cross-functional initiatives. These “gigs” not only create a work escape for employees, but it also allow for a safe way to gain practical experience outside their area. Needless to say, developing and integrating these marketplaces into existing processes can be both time-consuming and expensive.
In the meantime, reinvigorating your employee experience can serve as a temporary, quicker, more cost-effective way to get started. Culture champion networks can be activated to lead a series of re-energizing campaigns. These campaigns can remind everyone of the various interest and affinity groups, mentoring, volunteering, team or culture building experiences that create connection. Encouraging participation in these programs could help address the “need” for variety at the workplace.
Be careful what you wish for
For the moment, let’s assume that companies have an internal job mobility program they promote as part of their employee experience.
Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?
Well maybe for the employees that successfully make the leap, but certainly not for employers. Assuming an experienced employee is now in a role outside their existing area, that employee is likely still being paid at their current salary, while working at a lower proficiency. In the absolute rarest of occasions would a pay-cut happen. Even if the employee had the option of a reduction in pay, it’s a huge disincentive since costs of living tend to go up, not down. Also, considering their “newness” in their role, there is also an expectation of performance management leniency as they will need time to adjust and become proficient. The only head start the employee has is institutional knowledge, but even this could be negated if their existing networks or contacts are no longer relevant in their new role.
HYPOTHESIS
| There are also practical downsides to job mobility that should be strongly considered. |
Moreover, unless the original job is eliminated, companies must ensure continuity of work and therefore must search, recruit, hire and onboard a replacement. From a cost perspective, it is almost the same as if the employee had left. Granted, there may be cost savings from filling in one slot instead of two, but savings would be negligible as the company is also receiving less value from the transfer as the employee becomes proficient in their new role.
Unintended Consequences
But what if the new role doesn’t work out? What is the contingency plan? There may be none. For the transferring employee, they are in a “Cortes on the beach” situation; there is no going back because there may be nothing to go back to. This puts us back to square one except now we have an unhappy, over paid, lower performing employee.
And what of those who actively apply for internal positions they are not qualified for and are thereby rejected? What happens to an employee’s morale and motivation then? I guess it’s possible those employees subscribe to the “get back on your horse” mentality, but one rejection is bad enough and more than one, well, that’s just brutal for the morale.
But what about the manager and the employee’s immediate team? How would a manager behave with those that seem eager to leave their team without taking it personally? How does this impact team dynamics? Would teammates want to work with you knowing that it’s only a matter of time before you try (and maybe successfully) leave?
At this point, we have more questions than answers. Maybe before we get too far along, let’s rewind a bit and consider the target audience for job mobility programs. By better understanding our audience, perhaps we can come up with a solution that works for everyone.
[1] Why people leave consulting after only two to four years, E. Loos, April 2023 ↩︎
Twistymind 