Time to say goodbye?

Singapore - How do employees know when to leave their current position? The answer may differ according to the person's individual personality.

For instance, if a person is a dynamic go-getter, the time to look for greener pastures is when work does not pose as a challenge anymore, says Joyce Gioia, president and strategic business futurist of The Herman Group. For others, the time to leave may come when they no longer feel appreciated by the company.

For employees who want to leave their positions but carry on working for the company, should they raise their feelings of discontent with their line managers? While this may option seem relatively straightforward, doing so could backfire for the employee. "If you are a highly valued employee, this may be a rather sticky situation because the line manager is not going to want to lose you," Gioia says. At the same time, line managers are stuck because they know that if nothing is done to retain the individual, the employee will eventually leave the company.

Other times, line managers may also see this as disloyalty on the employee's part and "will push the person out before the employee is ready". So in instances like that, it would make more sense to talk to HR before deciding whether to leave the company.

When looking for the next company, Gioia suggests employees look at certain criteria when sussing out a company. Some assessment points include knowing their potential line manager and whether they would be able to work together. Employees should also assess the company based on whether the company would be able to provide a high level of job satisfaction.

Those with leadership  aspirations should also ask if potential companies have a fast-track programme, training and development schemes and opportunities to climb the corporate ladder.

And with company culture being a dominant employee retainer, Gioia suggests that jobseekers do their homework on what the company's culture is like before joining. Other than interviews, Gioia says jobseekers can garner information on the potential company's culture, attrition rates and working relationships by fielding these questions at current employees. Failing which, intercepting random employees at the lift lobbies and carparks can be an unorthodox way of gaining precious information, she adds.

Most importantly, Gioia says when jobseekers walk into an organisation that is a great place to work at, there is a feeling that they are able to sense.

"You either feel great or you don't. And in a company that is an employer of choice, the people are having fun, smiling and enjoying working together," she adds.