Why do young workers often change jobs?

After working as an accountant at a logistics company for nearly a year, Huyen My knew it was time to change jobs.

The 27-year-old girl from Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, has not been with any company for more than two years since graduating. My believes that this time is long enough to learn all the experiences from her superiors.

My explains that constantly changing jobs helps change one's mindset and develop hidden strengths. If one devotes one's entire youth to one place, one cannot avoid being fired if the employer sees no value. "Instead of being fired and then looking for a job when I'm old, I want to create opportunities for myself to develop and try my hand at many new companies," My says.

Duc Khai in Ho Chi Minh City always proudly shows off to his friends his habit of "changing jobs every 6 months". According to the 28-year-old man, each job change is an opportunity to increase salary, especially for someone with an MBA in Canada like him.

But even though he found a job that paid as much as he expected, Khai still changed jobs. The reasons were usually overtime, business trips, or disagreements with colleagues and superiors. "With my qualifications, I deserve a better job and better colleagues," he said.

Job-hopping seems to be a characteristic of Gen Z workers. According to a survey conducted at the end of 2023 by Anphabe, Gen Z's intention to stay with the company is only about 2.2 years, much lower than Gen Y (3.2 years) and Gen X (4.3 years). Research by human resources company Talentnet gives an even lower number, only 1.7 years.

Survey of a job information siteIn the first 6 months of 2024, 85% of workers wanted to change jobs. The 18-24 age group led with a rate of more than 96%, 89% in the 25-34 age group.

According to psychologists, the phenomenon of young people frequently job-hopping may be related to "Blue bird syndrome" - the name originates from the children's play The Blue Bird by Belgian playwright, poet, and philosopher Maurice Maeterlinck.

This syndrome refers to people who are dissatisfied with their current life. They constantly fantasize about their own specialness, always looking for a dream job and have difficulty settling in a company.

Mr. Vu Quang Thanh, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Employment Service Center, agrees with the above view. There are many reasons why young workers change jobs, such as the desire to find new opportunities to develop themselves and their careers. They are willing to change jobs when they see a position with higher salary, a positive working environment, and respect from superiors.

"Compared to previous generations, young workers are less likely to accept long-term employment because there are more options in the market. Instead of pursuing a career in a fixed organization, they can start their own business or work freelance," said Mr. Thanh.

Adding to the reasons for easy job hopping, Associate Professor Dr. Do Minh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Institute of Business Culture, Vietnam Association for Development of Business Culture, said that young people today are not pressured to take care of their families like previous generations and live more emotionally.

"This group has high egos, they are knowledgeable, confident, dynamic but sometimes complacent and have illusions about their abilities," said Mr. Cuong.

According to experts, job-hopping is not bad, but it can easily cause employees to lose stability in their careers and finances. A person who constantly changes jobs will lose credibility in the eyes of employers. They also have difficulty developing specialized skills and building long-term advancement.

In particular, constantly changing jobs also puts pressure on oneself to find a better company with a higher salary. In case they cannot overcome the difficulties, they will slide into failure and want to give up.

Huyen My admitted that she was rejected many times from the application stage because employers saw that she changed jobs frequently. Unstable income and interrupted insurance payments made My stressed. There were times when she did not dare to meet her friends because she was ashamed and thought she was weak.

Working at many companies in a short period of time made Duc Khai depressed. For nearly a year now, he has been living a life of despair because he has not found a satisfactory job. All his living expenses depend on his parents' pension.

He plans to study abroad for the second time, getting a doctorate to increase his chances of finding a job. Khai believes that "the wind and the clouds meet each other", with his qualifications, sooner or later he will find a suitable job.

According to Mr. Vu Quang Thanh, employees who change jobs make businesses spend more money to recruit and train new staff. They also face pressure to provide more attractive compensation packages to retain employees.

"Not to mention, employees leaving mid-career also affects productivity, affecting the morale of remaining employees or putting pressure on them to do other tasks," said Mr. Thanh.

Mr. Thanh Dat, director of an advertising company in Hanoi, said that he only recruits employees who commit to working with the company for at least two years. In return, he ensures that salaries and bonuses are paid according to the agreement and creates opportunities for employees to continuously acquire new knowledge.

He said this regulation is somewhat extreme but ensures that the workflow is not disrupted. Managers themselves do not have to worry about "unfinished projects and employees quitting" causing property damage.

Associate Professor Dr. Do Minh Cuong advises young people to clearly define their career goals and learn how to build a network of relationships within the company. Each individual should carefully consider the risks they may encounter when constantly changing jobs.

"Instead of giving up when faced with difficulties, or changing jobs to find a new direction when faced with hardship, Gen Z should learn to adapt and overcome difficulties. When you have the ability and prove who you are, you will shine wherever you are instead of chasing after illusions," said Mr. Cuong.

On the business side, Mr. Vu Quang Thanh advised units to have reasonable salary and bonus policies, creating a working environment that encourages learning, exchange, and skill development. Managers also need to provide a clear career path so that employees can see long-term prospects.

Only when the above requirements are met, the bond between employees and the company will be strengthened, and the desire of young workers to change jobs will no longer exist.