Can i have some attrition please?
Hello,
I have read a few articles recently, that try to promote the age old philosophy of working with one company for an extended period of time. Infact, in one of the articles i read, (which was by a Tata group head), he mentioned that most of the CEO's you see in large companies are at their post because they stuck to their company and climbed their way up the ladder. It also said that, one can get an increment in salary and position through job hopping, however one still has to go through the learning curve, and hence there are no shortcuts to success!
Well, i agree, that there are no shortcuts to success. The climb to the top of the mountain involves toil, no matter how easy or difficult the mountain is. What i would like to mention though is,
1) Staying at one organization over a long period of time slows your momentum. There is always a "JOSH" element involved in working in a new organization, proving your worth, and winning your way ahead of the other participants in the rat race. The painful process of joining a new organization, burning the midnight oil, learning new ways of work, and meeting new people, provides more marginal utility than that can be added by your current organization.
2) If they new organization is paying you more, they probably expect more from you. So you push yourself harder than you would have in your older organization, to make sure you deliver the worth of the money your new organization is paying you.
3) No matter how loyal you are, your cynisyzm towards top management will only grow if you stay in one organization for a very long period of time. Why? well there are a lot of idyosyncracies that one can see in any organization. If you stay in an organization for a long period of time, the idiosyncracies will begin to affect your daily life. They will become irritating, and since you can not do much else, you will retaliate through cynisyzm, if not out loud, then softly to yourself.
A healthy attrition rate is indespensible from an organizational perspective too, as infusion of new talent with a diverse background improves the organizational learning curve towards the external market and brings in new ideas into the organizations thought process.
I have also personally seen that employees that stick for too long in an organization are,
1) Happy with their current environment (e.g. if it aint broke, why fix it),
2) Are just too lazy to think about their career and have other priorities, or
3) Are incapable to get a better job.
I have spoken to many knowledge workers such as myself over the years, and the reason to stick on to one job has primarily been,
1) This is close to my house, so the commute isnt a problem, i dont wanna give that up.
2) This is a comfortable job, the people are good, the work pressure isnt too great, why change for a 30% hike in salary and create complications.
3) I am performing very well here, i have proved myself, why should i join a new organization and go through the process all over again.
4) I am already working with the biggest guy in the industry, where can i possibly move on to. And how much more could they possibly be willing to pay me.
5) I cannot get a job an a different organization at the same position as i am here. My salary will decrease, i will have to start off from the scratch, i wish i could, but i really cant afford that at this point of time. (very dangerous situation)
The people that do move on to other jobs primarily move due to problems with bosses, an unfavourable work environment, long working hours, long commutes, better work content or a better brand name.
I have also met many people, especially company management, who expect a strong reason from you when you are leaving their organization. i.e. Why are you looking for a change? is it the pay, is it the work content?
I guess sooner or later we shall all realize that change is the way of life, and although we keep saying this, we dont really appreciate it in its truest sense. if we did, the above questions would never have a sarcastic tone to it... do you remember people saying, are you changing for the sake of change or is it because you are not happy where you are.... ring any bells???
As for the comment by the tata group head, about CEO's having stuck to their companies over decates. That was the old economy with GDP growing at 3% and a stable external environment, today i just dont see that happening.
I guess its up to the management to decide a healthy attrition level, and rather than targeting a retention rate, they should probably target an attrition rate?
Cheers,
Oscar.
I have read a few articles recently, that try to promote the age old philosophy of working with one company for an extended period of time. Infact, in one of the articles i read, (which was by a Tata group head), he mentioned that most of the CEO's you see in large companies are at their post because they stuck to their company and climbed their way up the ladder. It also said that, one can get an increment in salary and position through job hopping, however one still has to go through the learning curve, and hence there are no shortcuts to success!
Well, i agree, that there are no shortcuts to success. The climb to the top of the mountain involves toil, no matter how easy or difficult the mountain is. What i would like to mention though is,
1) Staying at one organization over a long period of time slows your momentum. There is always a "JOSH" element involved in working in a new organization, proving your worth, and winning your way ahead of the other participants in the rat race. The painful process of joining a new organization, burning the midnight oil, learning new ways of work, and meeting new people, provides more marginal utility than that can be added by your current organization.
2) If they new organization is paying you more, they probably expect more from you. So you push yourself harder than you would have in your older organization, to make sure you deliver the worth of the money your new organization is paying you.
3) No matter how loyal you are, your cynisyzm towards top management will only grow if you stay in one organization for a very long period of time. Why? well there are a lot of idyosyncracies that one can see in any organization. If you stay in an organization for a long period of time, the idiosyncracies will begin to affect your daily life. They will become irritating, and since you can not do much else, you will retaliate through cynisyzm, if not out loud, then softly to yourself.
A healthy attrition rate is indespensible from an organizational perspective too, as infusion of new talent with a diverse background improves the organizational learning curve towards the external market and brings in new ideas into the organizations thought process.
I have also personally seen that employees that stick for too long in an organization are,
1) Happy with their current environment (e.g. if it aint broke, why fix it),
2) Are just too lazy to think about their career and have other priorities, or
3) Are incapable to get a better job.
I have spoken to many knowledge workers such as myself over the years, and the reason to stick on to one job has primarily been,
1) This is close to my house, so the commute isnt a problem, i dont wanna give that up.
2) This is a comfortable job, the people are good, the work pressure isnt too great, why change for a 30% hike in salary and create complications.
3) I am performing very well here, i have proved myself, why should i join a new organization and go through the process all over again.
4) I am already working with the biggest guy in the industry, where can i possibly move on to. And how much more could they possibly be willing to pay me.
5) I cannot get a job an a different organization at the same position as i am here. My salary will decrease, i will have to start off from the scratch, i wish i could, but i really cant afford that at this point of time. (very dangerous situation)
The people that do move on to other jobs primarily move due to problems with bosses, an unfavourable work environment, long working hours, long commutes, better work content or a better brand name.
I have also met many people, especially company management, who expect a strong reason from you when you are leaving their organization. i.e. Why are you looking for a change? is it the pay, is it the work content?
I guess sooner or later we shall all realize that change is the way of life, and although we keep saying this, we dont really appreciate it in its truest sense. if we did, the above questions would never have a sarcastic tone to it... do you remember people saying, are you changing for the sake of change or is it because you are not happy where you are.... ring any bells???
As for the comment by the tata group head, about CEO's having stuck to their companies over decates. That was the old economy with GDP growing at 3% and a stable external environment, today i just dont see that happening.
I guess its up to the management to decide a healthy attrition level, and rather than targeting a retention rate, they should probably target an attrition rate?
Cheers,
Oscar.
posted by Oscar at Wednesday, November 09, 2005
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