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What is passive job seeking, and what does it have to do with construction?
Studies of the U.S. labor force have shown us that many of our coworkers are passively seeking alternate employment. To some of you, that may sound like another language…what exactly does it mean? It means that, especially in the past twenty or so years, a growing number of workers are willing to uproot from their current company and switch careers. “In any given year,” reports Harry Griendling for the Star Tribune, “20 – 25% of all US workers change jobs.”
What is causing workers to switch careers? A study by AON, a HR consulting firm, “showed that over 25% of employed workers would change jobs for a salary increase of 10% or less.” What is even more shocking is this: if that 10% is bumped up to 20%, “over half of us would leave or jobs.” Those are really stunning numbers, and they show why there has been much talk about the ‘passive job seeker.’ Companies are realizing that the people they really want are accessible…even if those candidates are already comfortably and happily employed.
Others are changing careers for different reasons. Location is a big consideration these days, especially in light of the volatile housing markets. Additionally, there are always a small number of people that relocate and switch careers due to family or personal issues. Also, the labor force is aging, and more than one baby boomer has woken up thinking “I’m not really going to do this for the rest of my life, am I?” The job in question is irrelevant; studies repeatedly show that nearly everyone is willing to ‘job hop’ if offered the right incentives.
This seems to contradict much of what we as a culture have been taught about resumes. Many of us have heard about the apparently massive pitfalls that await us if we have too many jobs, or an excessively short tenure at one, on our resumes. While this can still be a potential trap, it is a rule that can be in large measure ignored these days. In general, firms place much more emphasis on what you have accomplished, your proven abilities, and your ambition and foresight for the future than they do about how many companies you have demonstrated these qualities with. In other words, it is “how many closings?” not “how many years?’ or “how many companies?”
Still, sometimes the right incentive is to avoid sending in more resumes to yet a new boss. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “Construction offers more opportunities than most other industries for individuals who want to own and run their own business.” The ability to act as “contractors on small jobs” and perform “work directly for property owners” resulted in 1.9 million self-employed and unpaid family workers in 2004.
In any case, it is clear that the internet is making passive job seekers more active than they were before, as well as making them more accessible to interested parties. What would be interesting is a report on construction productivity compared against the average tenure of the workforce. In other words, what is the effect of increased job hopping in the US labor market?
Please check out my three blog posts on passive job seeking: 101, 201, 301.
Please feel free to contact Mark Avera about this or any other article you read on this site at MAvera@TopBuildingJobs.com.
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