If you’ve ever stayed in a job past its expiration date, you’re in good company. Studies consistently show workers want stability in their employment. The fear of disrupting that stability to look for new work can be overwhelming. This dynamic often leads to employees sticking with a company even when they feel intensely negative about their work.
Since your mind is primed to make you gloss over work troubles, it’s best to keep a lookout for these common warning signs that it may be the perfect timing for a new job opportunity. We have compiled 10 reasons that you can clue you into the likelihood it may be a good time to change jobs.
You’re skipped for a promotion
If you needed some new job inspiration, imagine being passed over for a promotion. There are only so many promotions to go around, so you don’t need to worry every time a colleague receives one. However, if you believe you were very qualified for the promotion – or have seen many employees with fewer skills than you get promoted over you – it can be a sign that your company doesn’t plan to ever advance your career. You can try to alleviate this by simply asking for a promotion – it may be what the less-experienced guy did. Speak with your management about possible promotions, when to expect them, and how much they might be for. This may seem a bit ambitious but a company that wants to keep you should be able to provide these kinds of answers. If they offer little to no outlook then you may have the answer you need about looking for a new job.
Your “benefits” are a joke
If benefits are too expensive for you to use, or the things they provide are too weak to be any good… they aren’t really benefits. You deserve radically affordable healthcare. You deserve tools that make it simple to access that care on your own terms. You deserve vacation time you can actually use. You deserve an easy way to plan for a financially secure future and access to free expert advice on legal matters like real estate, retirement, estate planning and other major life events. You deserve access to help with education and training to increase your earning potential. If your job isn’t providing access to these things (let’s be real: they’re providing it for people in the corporate office), then that’s not right.
Money worries are constant
Everybody wants a raise, but it’s vital to recognize those times when money becomes an insurmountable worry. If you work hard but are constantly struggling to pay bills or start saving, it’s a clear sign you need to try negotiating for a raise — then start searching for new employers who will value your skills appropriately. Of course, if you love your current job, boss or company then fight for the raise you need. Explain to your management what you need to make ends meet and pair this with the great work you do. If they are unable to meet your financial needs then you can part ways with the confidence that you tried to make it work.
You don’t trust the company
It’s easy to give your company a “free pass” when they make decisions you don’t agree with. After all, money has to be made, and sometimes hard choices are necessary. However, if you don’t trust your employers to keep their promises and protect your interests, it’s time to find one who will. This one can be difficult because you may feel like you are the only one who sees these issues or that you can’t talk about it with others. Either of these aspects makes the decision to leave feel extremely lonely.
You don’t fit in anymore
Workplaces change over time, and even a job that you loved at first might become a poor fit as the culture changes. If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t belong here anymore,” it may be a sign you need to start searching for a new opportunity. This is especially true if you are older. You may have come into a company that fit your style, values and goals. As times change so too do these trends and your business (especially successful ones) is likely to follow along. You can see this with companies like IBM (once suit and ties, now t-shirts and Starbucks cups). If you have to spend 40 hours or more a week somewhere, you should probably fit in at the very least.
Repeated work conflicts
One of the strongest signs that you’re not a good fit for your current job is feeling like you’re constantly butting heads with peers or supervisors. A certain amount of friction is present in any workplace, but conflicts that occur repeatedly or turn into full-blown arguments are a sure sign it’s time to seek other local staffing opportunities. If you like other aspects of your work and want to try to maintain the job then you can ask for some company counseling or a third-party intermediary to help try to sort things out. If these don’t work it’s unlikely you can rebound from this type of issue and moving to another job may be the best option.
You’re too stressed about your job
Stress is a normal part of the workaday world, but abnormally high or long-lasting stress is a dangerous circumstance. Chronic stress takes a heavy toll on your physical and psychological health, as well as your work performance, so it’s rarely worth sticking around when the stress doesn’t improve over time. You have to ask yourself for this one “Will a new job make me happy?” Are you finding your answer to be “Yes, I need a change of pace!” or simply “Well, if I just had a bit more freedom in my work.” If it’s the latter, you may just need to make some changes to your current job rather than looking for a new job altogether. Relate this to your management so they can help you find ways to work through the stress of work or even alleviate the cause behind it. If they don’t or can’t provide support then the stress is likely to remain, in which case you have to decide if it’s too much for you to sustain much longer.
You can’t stop complaining
Everybody has a bad day now and then, but if it feels like you can’t stop complaining about your workplace, it’s time to find a new one. Whether it’s friction with peers, anger at company policies or simply boredom with your job, a constant urge to complain is a sure sign that you need something better. One way to put this in perspective is to map your experiences out. If you have a company luncheon or they hand out swag write it down. If you are mad about a new policy announcement or your co-worker’s attitude, write that down too. Essentially, write down anything good or bad that you experience at work. Then put what you have written side-by-side. If the table is clearly heavy on the bad experiences side and light on the positive then you should definitely consider finding a new opportunity.
You have skills that aren’t being used
Bills need to be paid, so it’s not unusual to take a job below your experience level. However, if you constantly feel like your potential is being wasted and there are no signs of a promotion in the future, it’s better to look for a job that lets you flex your skills. You can do this either by entirely cutting ties with the company or asking management to find a place for you to transition to. If you have worked with the company a number of years you are invested in its success, its policies and up to date on training. It would be in your company’s best interest to use these years of service to their advantage and move you into a role that better suits your skillset. If you find yourself here, just ask your manager or supervisor what your options are for moving within the company. If they say it’s unlikely, then you have your answer of if you should begin looking for something new.
You have no passion left
One sign it may be time to move on is that you have no passion or drive in your current role. You used to come in excited to work or enjoyed the different challenges that work threw at you. Now, you dread the drive to work and count the seconds until it’s quitting time. You despise new projects, policies or initiatives because you don’t see anything in them for you. You may still be performing fine at your job but this grey-scale passion will eventually turn into you missing deadlines, forgetting important steps or neglecting work altogether. It may be a good time to cut ties with your job while you still have a good record with them.
Whatever the reason for your dissatisfaction, Ōnin Staffing can help you find an employer who will value your skills and pay you accordingly. You deserve to be happy and proud of your work so don’t be afraid to take that leap and make it happen!
