Job Hopping: A Benefit or a Bust?

More workers—especially those from younger generations—see rewards in job hopping than before, according to research from global staffing firm Robert Half. Sixty-four percent of professionals polled think changing roles every few years can be beneficial, with the biggest perk being a higher salary.

 

Seventy-five percent of employees ages 18 to 34 view job hopping as beneficial, compared to 59% of workers ages 35 to 54 and 51% of those 55 and older. Workers with a college degree or higher see the most benefit in changing jobs every few years (67%).

 

The biggest drawback of job hopping, cited by 46% of workers, is being perceived as a flight risk. And this is a valid worry, as a survey of chief financial officers (CFOs) found 44% are not at all likely to hire a candidate with a history of job hopping because they want to avoid losing them in the future.

 

However, company size matters. Fifty-one percent of CFOs at companies with more than 1,000 employees said a history of frequent job changes isn’t relevant if the candidate is the right fit.

 

When asked the number of role changes in 10 years that constitute a job hopper, professionals said five and CFOs cited six.

 

“While job hopping can have benefits, too many employment changes can raise red flags with hiring managers,” says Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. “Professionals should take time to weigh the pros and cons before making a career move.”

 

The survey of workers includes responses from more than 1,000 U.S. workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments. The CFO survey is based on telephone interviews with more than 2,200 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in more than 20 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.