Before I get into this post I want to start by saying that I am not an advocate of people quitting their jobs because they are unhappy with them. With the current economic situation and job market, it is much harder for many to find a new job right now than it was 5 or 6 years ago. However, there are some that absolutely hate their jobs and dread Monday-Friday from 9 to 5. If you are in that situation, I do feel that you should start making the proper plans to search for something that is more fulfilling.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the “quits rate” — the percentage of employees who voluntarily leave their jobs every month — dropped in early 2010 to a low of 1%. This number has since crept up a bit to 1.5% in July and 1.6% in September of 2011. The economy has no doubt kept many people in jobs they simply do not like – sometimes you just have to do what is necessary to make it through tough times.
Photo © by Zach Klein
Many of those who decide to quit their jobs do it within a pretty short period of time. According to a recent study conducted by Bullhorn, a recruiting and applicant-tracking software developer, almost half (46%) of employees who quit do so within 18 months of being hired. The number one reason according to the report is a bad cultural fit – an employee’s feeling that he or she just doesn’t belong and can’t get ahead.
So, when will you know if it is time to throw in the towel and look for a new job. Kate Wendleton, president of national career-counseling network The Five O’Clock Club, has identified eight specific symptoms of a bad fit. “If you’ve noticed three or more of these warning signs,” she says, “it’s time to update your resume and launch a job search.”
Bad Fit Symptoms
1. Your values don’t match those of your coworkers or higher-ups
Wendleton has seen many instances of employees who don’t fit in because they won’t go along with unethical (or even illegal) practices, but a clash in values can take many other forms. Your description of your company as “bureaucratic and stifling” suggests the culture isn’t right for you.
2. Your boss doesn’t like you
This probably applies if “you don’t support his approach or agenda, or she never solicits your opinion,” says Wendleton, adding, “If you’ve ever done or said anything to undermine your boss, you might as well get out now.”
3. Your peers don’t like you
Being treated like an “outsider” is a clue. “If you feel isolated, gossiped about, and excluded from the inner workings of the organization, and if you have no sense of camaraderie at work,” Wendleton says, “it’s time to start planning to move on.”
4. You don’t get assignments that make the best use of your abilities
When the fit is bad, all the plum projects go to others, while you get the ones that play to your weaknesses, Wendleton says — a sign that “your boss doesn’t trust your judgment or believe you will do a good job.”
5. You always get stuck with the “grunt work” no one else wants
“You can lobby for better projects and ask for assignments that will showcase your skills and heighten your credibility,” Wendleton notes — but don’t be surprised if you don’t get them.
6. You are excluded from meetings that your peers are invited to
Obviously, this is unmistakable evidence of outsider status, says Wendleton: “You don’t feel that your ideas are valued or your contributions are central to the company.”
7. Everyone else at your level has an office, while you have a cubicle in the hallway
Whatever your formal title, Wendleton observes, a lousy workspace “telegraphs your place in the informal hierarchy loudly and clearly.”
8. You dread going to work
“If the idea of going to work makes you anxious or physically sick, and if you find yourself counting the hours until you can leave, you need to start job hunting,” says Wendleton. Life’s too short for this.
I know quitting your job and looking for a new place to work is so much easier said than done but, there are many out there who are just going though the motions at work. If you happen to be in this group, I hope you feel somewhat encouraged that you can find a new job that is a better fit for your talents and passions. Having a job that you enjoy and feel a sense of purpose at should be a goal for all of us. You may not make more money in a different field (that is why it is so important to handle your money better) but the rewards of looking forward to going to work everyday are priceless!
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