Human beings like to be in control of their surroundings, and who can blame them? We’re naturally inclined to take the high ground, grab a vantage point and consider our options. These past two years or so have been tough on working people, many of whom have stayed in jobs they didn’t love for fear of leaving a sure thing. Now that the job market is beginning to pick up, smart managers won’t wait to see what happens. They’ll anticipate, plan for and with luck head off the mass talent exodus that is sure to follow an uptick in new job opportunities.
Why would people bolt as the talent marketplace improves? For one thing, surveys show that a majority of working people don’t like the jobs they presently hold. And, the recent Glassdoor Employment Confidence survey showed that should the economy return to pre-recession levels, one in five (21 percent) expect to look for a new job.
We don’t know whether they don’t like the job because of its attributes, or because they’ve essentially been held hostage for two years by the economy, but the distinction may be too fine to matter. If people are waiting for a signal to bounce, managers won’t have time to react once the starter gun is fired. They need to put a plan in place today, to keep their top value creators glued to their seats.
