The Fairy Tale is Over: Contemporary Careers

Once upon a time employees often worked for a company until retirement.  Employees were loyal and employers cared. That fairy tale is over. 

Contemporary careers are much different.  Today's work environment is a partnership where employees contribute talent to organizations that reward them for their efforts.

Today’s knowledge-based workforce is characterized as diverse, creative and performance-driven. Today’s employee wants more than just a competitive salary and generous healthcare benefits. They are looking for work-life benefits and workplace perks such as flexible hours, career development and bonus programs.

More than anything, today’s employee wants to see the difference  they make in their  organization and be recognized for it. In fact, a recent study conducted by the Gallup Organization of more than 80,000 employees found that 82% of employees surveyed agree that recognition motivates them to improve their job performance.  Achievers

When we look at careers in that light, the following information from CareerBuilder makes sense.

•          74% of respondents reported actively seeking or open to new opportunities
•        69% of respondents said that searching for another job is part of their routine
•         35% of respondents admitted that they were preparing for their next job within weeks of starting a new job

Read CareerBuilder’s Candidate Behavior 2012 report.