I have always wondered why people feel the need to lie to their current employers when they land a new job. It is simply rare to find an individual who is honest enough to share that they are moving on to another company. “My father/mother is sick and I have to take care of him/her”, “I have inherited the family farm and will have to go and oversee it” “I am taking a career break to find myself”, do any of these sound familiar? It almost sounds like the lies men tell women when they cheat, the lie is always the same or varies along the same lines. lol

People, dare I say, it is OKAY to move from one company to the next, you are under a contractual agreement to provide your services in exchange for remuneration and when you feel you would like to provide your services elsewhere, you are completely free to do so, provided you follow your contractual obligations. Now, before you protest, I am not condoning job hopping every few months, one does need to grow where they are planted. It takes some time to learn the ins and outs of any particular role, and even more time to be an expert at it, when you decide to leave make sure you can say you have done all you can do, and grown all you can grow. However, you can throw everything I have just said out the window if you are working in a toxic environment. “Toxicity at work, in relationships or in life works as a slow poison which often results in disillusioned or embittered survivors.” Abhysheq Shukla. If you can, get the heck out of there and find a conducive environment STAT.

Conversely, employers should not make it difficult for employees to leave. I have heard and seen some employers sabotaging (is this a word? I hope so) their employees next job, just because they left the company. When it is time for one to leave your company bid them farewell and wish them well. I do realize that there are times when the absence of one employee can leave the company at a great disadvantage, it may be because of timing, ongoing projects, etc. In this case by all means either try to agree on a workable timeframe that will allow for an effective handover, or of course pull out your counter offer card J, in any case be supportive of the employee’s decision, whether you like it or not.

Speaking of environment, it is vital that I mention that sometimes you may not be an ill performer, you may just be in the wrong environment, one that is not conducive for YOU to thrive. Not to be cliché, but, take a fruit tree that thrives in heat to a cold environment and it may not do so well. One person may flourish in the private sector, take that same person to the government sector, and they may perform dismally, vice versa is true. This also applies to different companies, you MUST find a company whose values align with yours, otherwise you will be frustrated to say the least. I have come to learn (thank you Empower) that values play a key role in the hiring process, more so for the employer, however the candidate should take these extremely seriously as well.

Another thing comes to mind, (it is now that I realize that I may just be venting as I was a recruiter for a little over a year, that role affords you a chance to see people in a whole different light J) an interview is a 2 way process, the same way the company is evaluating your fit for them, you too should be analyzing and assessing whether or not they are a fit for you. Candidates often go through the interviewing process with tails between their legs, sometimes even taking the role of a beggar, however there is nothing more attractive (for lack of a better word) than a confident candidate who knows exactly what they want and understands the importance of what they bring to the table. You are providing the service, your presence in that company will directly or indirectly lead to an increase in revenue and efficiency, otherwise the position would not be available (this is a whole other article for another day). I know that the competitive nature of the employment market right now, gives us the “survival of the fittest mentality”, however be confident anyway ;-).

In the same light, although the contract may not expressly stipulate, the probation period is also for the employee to evaluate the company based on environment, values, ways of working, etc. Though it may come as a surprise to many, some companies actually fail their probation, and that’s OKAY. Sometimes it is just not the right fit, it is absolutely alright for the employee to state that and find a place that would be a better fit (please note that this can be avoided if the potential employee also evaluates the company during the interviewing process). I used to think it was “extra” to fly executive candidates in, have them tour the company for a couple of days to help them make a decision, however I seldom think that anymore, it is one hundred percent necessary. Must be nice to get to this level huhJ, getting swept off your feet to work for a company mmh... I feel this is a motivational speech moment. If you are in the employment market, you should strive to be so good that they can’t ignore you, strive to get to a level where companies would do almost anything to have you work for them. How? By having a growth mindset, becoming a problem solver/solution provider, bettering your craft, reading extensively about your field, researching on how other countries or industries lead. I read once or heard that the human race is inherently lazy (I use this term as loosely as possible), therefore even doing just 1% above the rest is highly noticeable J; end of motivation.

Anyway, I have mentioned all this just to say that let us normalize honesty when moving jobs, do not lie, it is not smart, neither is it right. Do not burn any bridges, rather be a connector of bridges. I remember what an influential lady once told me as I interviewed her(you can watch the talk here https://bit.ly/3vStuq6 ) , “you will always need someone to speak on your behalf in rooms that you cannot be present in”, this has stuck with me. So remember, your previous employer, or boss, or colleague may very well be what stands between you and that next big opportunity, so make sure they are in your corner and just be a good human :-)