Since the spring of 2021, 33 million Americans have quit their jobs. It’s a movement that’s been dubbed “The Great Resignation.”
A new survey by Pew Research breaks down the reasons for the Great Resignation: 63% quit because of low pay, 63% quit because they felt there were no opportunities for advancement, and 57% left their jobs because they felt disrespected at work. The quits rate reached a 20-year high last November.
But a majority of younger workers who switched jobs now regret their decision. A survey by The Muse, a corporate and career research company, surveyed 2500 millennial and Gen Z job seekers. 72% say they have Shift Shock, a realization that their new jobs or companies are different from what they were led to believe during the interview process.
And why is that? Kathryn Minshew, The Muse’s CEO, says, in some cases, job seekers don’t ask the right questions during an interview process. Other times, it’s because a recruiter misrepresented the role or was overly optimistic about the company in an effort to fill the position. And she said it’s hard to assess the culture of a new company on a Zoom call. Because of all the unhappiness, people are quitting rather than sticking it out.
“This is a generational shift, driven by Gen Z and millennial candidates who are more likely to believe the employer-employee relationship should be a two-way street,” Minshew says. “On top of this, the pandemic has emphasized for many that ‘life is short,’ which means candidates are less likely to stick around in unfulfilling jobs.”
Additional findings from The Muse survey:
- 29% said their Shift Shock encompassed the job and the company
- 41% would give a new job two to six months if they felt Shift Shock as a new hire
- 48% would try to get their old job back if they felt Shift Shock at a new company
- 80% said it’s acceptable to leave a new job before six months if it doesn’t live up to your expectations
“It used to be that if you started a new job and didn’t like it, you needed to stay for one or two years to avoid a black mark on your resume,” Minshew said. “But we’ve seen this really interesting shift in perceptions and this wave of employees quitting after a short period of time could fuel another “Great Resignation.”
So, millennials seem to be ushering in new attitudes about employment and the workplace. But one immutable law of the universe will never change—The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.