At any given time, about six out of every 10 Millennials are open to a new job, which has earned them the title of the “Job Hopping Generation” according to a 2016 Gallup poll. While it might be simpler for a relatively inexperienced worker to find another job that requires little experience, it is not as easy for a high-level executive to switch jobs on a whim. What’s an experienced worker to do? A career placement agency could provide helpful advice and guidance to experienced workers wanting to find a new, better job.
Is a Career Placement Agency Applicable For Executive Workers?
Entry level jobs are easy to fill. It is much more difficult to find a good leader for a team, as a position of this type requires a certain amount of confidence, wisdom, and experience. When looking for a new job, it can be extremely helpful to have an advisor in place who has good connections. Expanding your network could decrease the amount of time it takes to find a new job, and/or help find a job position that is a good fit.
What Makes Someone Leave Their Current Job?
People leave their jobs for many reasons, but not all of those reasons have to do with dissatisfaction. A recent Robert Half survey of nearly 1,400 executives on job performance and job dissatisfaction found a few key problems that can lead to someone leaving their current job. The number one problem was issues with meeting performance problems, followed by the employee being a bad skills match at 36%, and at 30% unclear performance markers. Looking at these issues reveals a common thread: communication problems.
Somehow, communication broke down at several key points. First, the wrong person was hired for the job, as they lack the necessary skills required to perform the job as expected. Secondly, the employee fails to meet performance standards, which can result from one of two things. Either the employee is simply unable to perform at an acceptable level due to a lack of necessary experience, or the performance standards are unclear. This means that the employee doesn’t know what is expected of them, or that the employer has not made their expectations clear to their employee. It’s a communication breakdown that results in a loss of time, money, and effort on both sides.
How Does a Career Placement Agency Specifically Help High-Level Executives?
If you are a high-level executive who is considering leaving your current job, you might wonder about outplacement consulting firms. These are companies offering services to employees who were let go to find a job upon leaving. While this service can be incredibly helpful if done well, the exact performance of each outplacement service can vary in quality. This is best considered as a supplement to your other efforts in the job search process.
What Should I Look For In a Good Career Placement Agency?
There are a few agreed upon points that all good career placement agencies have in common. One, their practices are transparent. If they assist both sides of the employer-employee equation, then the process for filling positions must be clear. This improves the chances that the agency is truly finding the best fit for each position.
Another point is how social-media savvy the company is, as this has become a staple in the last 10 years or so. Sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and others are now a crucial component in business, and this extends to filling jobs too. A good placement agency will understand how to navigate social media successfully so as to leverage their clients’ skill set.
A lot of time and effort goes into finding a job for any employee. Even more effort goes into finding a good job the higher up the career ladder one goes. It can be helpful to have someone on your side during a sometimes arduous process. Remember that a good career placement agency can have a positive effect on a job search, but the key is to find a good agency first.
