A survey of 5,000 working adults has debunked the theory that workplace loyalty is a thing of the past, revealing that 35% of those aged between 18-and-34 would be willing to stay with their current company long-term thanks to opportunities to develop new skills.
The quarterly Michael Page Pulse study, commissioned by recruitment firm Michael Page, part of the FTSE 250 PageGroup, shone a light on the two distinct identities emerging amongst today’s workforce – ‘hoppers’ and ‘lifers’ – as well as the benefits each approach brings for an employer.
Taking the temperature of the current job market, the research revealed that 65% of UK workers currently identify themselves as ‘lifers’ – defined as someone who regularly moves companies every one to three years.
Reasons cited by ‘lifers’ as to why they prefer to stay long-term included friends made at work (40%), flexible work options (39%) and good relationships with managers (29%).
The ‘lifer’ approach was also lauded for developing teamwork skills (50%), deep industry knowledge (57%) and strong industry connections (41%). As the most recent generations to enter the job market, 58% of Gen-Z and Millennials identified with the ‘lifer’ mentality, with 64% stating this attitude towards work offers greater career stability.
At the opposite end of the workplace scale sit the ‘hoppers,’ employees who frequently move between companies, on average staying with an employer for just 1-3 years. While a significant number of younger workers identify as ‘lifers,’ there are still plenty who are on the ‘hopper’ route. In fact, this younger age group are far more likely than their older generational counterparts to follow the hopper career approach (35% of Gen-Z compared to just 8% of those aged 45 to 64).
Across the board, survey respondents could see the merit of the ‘hopper’ career path: 46% said this approach offers more opportunities for varied career experience and a further 37% said the ‘hopper’ mentality made them more adaptable.
Doug Rode, Managing Director UK & Ireland at Michael Page said: “There are a lot of outdated perceptions around moving jobs frequently and indeed, staying in one place for too long. Being a ‘lifer’ doesn’t necessarily mean staying in one role for your entire career and becoming outdated. Just as being a ‘hopper’ doesn’t necessarily mean being flighty and unreliable.
“It’s important to remember it’s not a one size fits all approach – individual personality traits and different life circumstances all play a role in why someone might identify as either a ‘hopper’ or a ‘lifer.’ The modern workplace has space for both. In fact, harnessing the unique attributes of these two mindsets will strengthen any team.
“What’s really interesting about these findings is that we’re able to bust the myth that younger workers wouldn’t consider a long-term future with a company in the early stages of their career. Yes, they are more likely to identify as ‘hoppers’ than older workers, but it’s clear from the data that if they find the right employer, they could be willing to stay for a long time.”
The survey also polled workers involved with hiring in their workplaces – while half (50%) noted concerns that those who ‘hop’ might leave a company at the first opportunity, a greater proportion (54%) stated that a person could move frequently without showing a lack of loyalty to their employer.
A further half (49%) believe ‘hoppers’ have greater experience of different working styles – a valuable addition to their workplace – while the ‘lifers’ were spotlighted as workers with the potential to create a lasting legacy (44%).
With 35% of those in the hiring seat stating workers with a varied CV know how to make an impact in a short space of time, ‘hoppers’ possess the potential to broaden and refresh a business’s overall skillset. Indeed, two fifths stated that the contacts (42%) and skills (40%) of a ‘hopper’ make them an ideal candidate for roles.
Michael Page’s Doug Rode added: “It’s clear from the data that there are real advantages to hiring either a ‘lifer’ or a ‘hopper’ with both demonstrating the attributes any business would associate with top talent. Hiring managers recognise the different skills each can bring to a team, and place ‘lifers’ and ‘hoppers’ almost neck and neck in terms of being motivated and high achieving (44% and 42% respectively).
“The crucial consideration is who is right for your business at the current time. Is it the ‘lifer’ with demonstrable loyalty and depth of specialised experience or is it a ‘hopper’ who brings fresh thinking and learnings from other areas?
“And if a business can cultivate an environment where any type of worker can thrive, who knows, those ‘hoppers’ you hired might just turn into a ‘lifer.’”
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