The end of a calendar year is a symbolic time for many people to review important aspects of their life, such as their health, bad habits, relationships, and even their career. This is generally the springboard for those resolutions that begin when the calendar turns to January (and we hope they don’t become stalled shortly after).
While it is generally pretty obvious when you need to make a change involving your health or a nasty habit (such as excessive alcohol consumption), it is less clear when you should start the new year looking for a new job. Unless you are currently unemployed and need employment, you must ask yourself, if it is time for a career change?
In my opinion, this is a perfect time for you to do this employer assessment, as you have the ability to look back at what has happened over the course of the year. While you can certainly customize this list to focus on what is most important to you, there are some pretty universal categories in which to explore.
Let’s take a look at some of these key items. If you find that your employer is lacking in some or several of these items, perhaps it is best to start the new year with a job search.
#1 Compensation – How is your starting rate/salary now compared to the beginning of the year? If you did receive a merit increase (or even better, some type of promotional raise) did it at least cover inflation. If your compensation increase is less than inflation, then you are actually making LESS money (in terms of purchasing power) than you were when the year started. If you are an hourly non-exempt employee, then you should also factor how much overtime you are earning. If you like the extra hours (and the money), then consider how likely it is that they will continue to be available in the new year.
#2 Benefits – This is another area where employers try to save money by usually passing additional cost to the employee. This can be done either with the amount taken out of your paycheck or by making plan changes (higher deductibles or co-pays). You may be joining many WNY employees by discovering that your benefits are substantially more expensive for less coverage.
#3 Manager – A key to staying at any company is how you are treated by your manager. While having a good relationship with the boss does not pay the bills, it does go a long way to determining how you feel about your current situation. A manager who collaborates with you and always makes sure you are heard can help you overlook deficiencies in pay and benefits.
#4 Work-Life Balance – Did the time you spent with your family over this holiday season lead you to draw the conclusion that you are working too much? While money is important, it can’t replace the memories created from spending time with the ones you love. Also, look beyond the total work hours spent. For example, if you are traveling heavily and are physically away from your family, that can be more impactful than just the actual time worked.
#5 Career Development – Do you feel like you moved your career forward this year? Were you promoted (check #1 compensation), or are you any closer to that next position that you may covet? Is there a roadblock in front of you that may always prevent you from moving on, such as a family-owned business, flat leadership structure, or a desire to hire externally? Finally, did you receive any training or mentoring that readied you for your next role? If your current company is not investing resources in your development, then you probably should find an organization that will.
#6 Performance Assessment – How are you perceived by the company and how do they reward you. This is often summarized in the performance review you received at the end of year. Is your self-evaluation aligned with the review of your manager? And if your review accurately reflects you are a high performer, will it result in a sufficient compensation increase (#1) or a promotion (#5)?
The end of the year is a great time to review how your career progressed over the last twelve months. While doing the personal self-reflection necessary to create your New Year’s Resolutions, spend some time also doing a professional review. You may just discover that as you start the year, you are not where you want to be in your career. This may be just the nudge you need to get serious with your job search.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of RochesterJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
