Longevity

I’m David Manaster, CEO of ERE Media, the leading trade publisher for recruiting professionals.  Your HR Guy is generously hosting this (very late) guest post on his blog as part of the Big Bad Recruiting Blog Swap.

I’ve been reading Beth’s post on “job hoppers”, the comments on it, and Your HR Guy’s thoughts on the subject with a great deal of interest. As the CEO of a small business (about 10 employees), I thought that I might have a slightly different perspective on the topic.

Small companies often feel very different than their larger counterparts with thousands of employees.  Generally speaking, it’s more of a family feel.  Yeah, we really only work together, and most of us at ERE are not even physically at the same location, but we spend most of our days talking, emailing and IMing with each other, so culture is not just some warm & fuzzy idea or a matter of drinking the Kool-Aid, it’s vitally important.

We’re all in this together, and we know it.

I’m not speaking hypothetically here.  When someone here screws up, everyone feels it.  When someone knocks the ball out of the park, we all benefit.

We’ve had a (fortunately rare) situation where our production team screwed up, and it cost the company a big advertiser and Kevin his commissions.  On the flip side, we’ve had countless situations where good ideas and execution from production created new audiences for (and business from) our advertisers.  When Kate and Todd put together a killer agenda for one of our events, it helps Scott draw great to attendees to the show.  When we have great attendees, it makes it easier to recruit high level speakers to the next event.

The point is that teamwork is key.  And while I am using my own company as an example, I have yet to see an organization with more than two people where you can be a lone wolf and be truly effective.

It’s cliche, but there really is no “I” in “team.”

Over time, the entire team gets to know each other better.  We figure out each others strengths and weaknesses.  The better the players know each other, the better we are able to work together as a unit.

Over time, we also understand the company’s business better. Nobody knows from an early age that they want to be a trade publisher, so in ERE’s business there is a lot of education that comes on the job, even for employees with years of experience elsewhere.  I founded the company eight years ago, and nobody knows the ins and outs better, but I think about our business differently today than I did just two years ago.  In another couple of years, I am pretty certain that my understanding of our business will evolve further.

Over time, we form relationships with customers and vendors, develop knowledge of our software and procedures, and develop a real understanding of the industry and its best practices.

As the CEO of a small business, these are all reasons why a long term employee is infinitely more valuable than someone who will be here for a short period of time.  It’s also the reason why I will bend over backwards to keep someone good on my team.

Speaking as an employer, I know that my most valuable employees are the ones who have been with me for a long time (and to be clear, they have been with me a long time because they are good).  Because they are delivering so much value, their expectations of ERE as an employer are high as well.  If I ever stop meeting those expectations, it will be my loss.

Unfortunately, not every employer understands this, and because of it they end up with mediocre, unmotivated people.  After all, why would anyone work their ass off if they will not be recognized and rewarded for it?

So… is job hopping bad?

Not at all.  If you are unhappy where you are for any reason, move on.  A bad boss, idiot coworkers, unfulfilling work, a great opportunity, changes in your personal life … these are all good reasons to make a change.

Like any other relationship, a successful career is all about creating value for the other party over the long term. For this reason, I would think twice about job hopping as a career strategy, even if it is rewarding in the short run.