US Sees Increase in Job Changes Due to COVID-19 but Also Growth in 'Boomerang Employees'

Sometimes Deciding to Change Jobs Impulsively... You Need to Find What You Really Want

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] In the United States, while the number of people quitting their jobs and changing positions surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been observed that the so-called 'boomerang employees'?those returning to their previous workplaces?are also increasing.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 25th (local time), Michael Kay, who worked as a public relations officer at the American dating application operator OKCupid, moved to LinkedIn last summer.

However, he faced difficulties managing a smaller team at his new job and returned to OKCupid earlier this month. It was a return after about eight months.

According to a survey conducted earlier this year by the job search and career advisory company The Muse, among 2,500 American adults, about three-quarters of those who quit their jobs to change positions regretted it. Additionally, half of them said they would try to return to their previous workplace.

Experts say that the situation where job changers return to their former workplaces occurs because people do not truly find what they want.

Laura Majulo, a recruiter working in New York, explained, "When an opportunity to change jobs arises, people should first establish clear criteria to evaluate whether the opportunity suits them," recommending that during the hiring process, they write down their preferred type of boss, work environment, and when they become fully engaged in their work.

She also cited that one reason for dissatisfaction with new jobs is that job changers find the same drawbacks in the new workplace as in their previous one.

Sean Page, a recruiter at a fintech startup in New York, said, "People want high wages, psychologically stable teams, the best bosses, and companies that are growing, but it is impossible to have all of these."

Recently, many people who felt fatigued by life during the COVID-19 pandemic impulsively decided to change jobs for the sake of change.

Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and Harvard lecturer, stated about job changers, "Some left their jobs because, in the short term, they felt strong." Majulo analyzed that when more people around them change jobs, even those who were not dissatisfied with their current job start considering changing jobs, likening it to "the mindset of someone entering a candy store."