The post-holiday blues an unfortunate side-effect of taking time off work, especially as a holiday can provide us with an abundance of time to rest and reflect. This can often lead to a negative first day back at work, causing you to consider leaving your current role, looking for a new role or even moving on. So, should you quit your job?
Although research from Robert Half shows that the current hiring market is competitive, there is also strong evidence to support staying within a current role. High competition for top performing, highly-qualified professionals means businesses are keen to retain staff. Remuneration expectations are shifting, so it isn’t uncommon for businesses to alter offerings if it means keeping a valuable member of staff.
With that in mind, the team at Robert Half suggest asking yourself these questions before deciding to leave a job.
How to decide whether to change jobs
If you’re sure you aren’t just suffering from a case of post-holiday blues, there are some helpful steps to take and questions to ask yourself before handing your notice in.
• Are you eligible for a pay rise?
Finding out how to ask for a pay rise is relatively simple and usually involves putting together a case regarding the average wage other professionals in your sector are getting, along with KPIs and targets which you’ve consistently met.
If you’re thinking about asking for a pay rise, download our 2018 Salary Guide to find the national salary averages, then take a look at our tips for negotiating a pay rise.
• Is it worth negotiating job benefits?
When you first accept a role, it can be hard to know what to negotiate in a job offer. This may leave you wanting for certain benefits that might improve your work performance or work-life balance. Some simple benefit changes, such as flexible hours, remote working and child care, might make a significant difference.
• Could you try asking for more responsibility at work?
Our report into happiness in the workplace has suggested that work ownership can significantly increase how happy employees are at work. More challenging work could be the key to re-engaging with your role, without the need to look elsewhere.
Additional recent research found that employees in the UAE spend up to 5.2 hours bored at work per week. The most common reasons outlined for this are a lack of diversity within the role (30%). Try sending an email to ask for more responsibility at work or raise it in your next progress meeting. You may find that your sense of achievement increases, resulting in a happier work life.
• Do you need to upgrade your skill set?
Handing in a letter of resignation without investigating the current hiring market for your industry could be a bad move. To secure a more advantageous or desirable role, you may need to up-skill with training or by developing new skills in your current role. Take a minute to see what the most desirable job skills for 2018 are and start developing your own continual learning plan.
If you do decide that a new opportunity is the right move for you, take a look at our advice on finding a new job and find out how to write a resignation letter, so you can keep your list of contacts intact and leave on good terms.
