Most people have stopped active job hunting for the year. They’ve checked the job listings, answered the recruiters’ messages, and had their last interviews. This does not mean, however, that people stop thinking about moving on to a new job, but rather the opposite says Uptime Development’s HR Business Partner Natalia Kozaczka.
Traditionally, the holiday period is spent with one’s family and friends, but in addition to that, these few peaceful weeks also give people a chance to catch their breath, take a look at the year passed, and think about what’s next. And don’t think you are the only one who does this: besides the first autumn months, the beginning of January is one of the most active periods for changing jobs. This clearly shows that having some time off helps people see that they actually want something new.
This is further supported by the fact that many projects come to a close at the end of the year. So besides having had time to reflect, the beginning of January is, for many people, a good time to find a new challenge without leaving anything unfinished at their last job.
Obviously, all of this doesn’t mean that you should start every year with something new, but rather, you should analyze and consider whether your current position offers you everything that you actually wish for. Although grass tends to look greener on the other side, changing your job for the sake of changing it is not the best idea. Instead, you should think about what you actually expect from your employer.
What do you want?
The main factors which make people think about changing their job have become quite clear thanks to countless hours spent talking to different candidates. The most common of them include having more flexibility and freedom, finding a supportive and like-minded team, looking for stability, more competitive pay, finding more responsibilities, and looking for a work culture that supports personal development.
Developers and project managers who have worked in small startups are good examples of this. While people in bigger and more well-known companies don’t often have to think about whether the next funding round might fall through, this is not always the case in smaller companies that are still establishing themselves.
We can see that stability is something that a lot of people find attractive, especially when you don’t only have to take care of yourself, but also your family, a mortgage, and a car lease. Uptime Development has become an attractive choice for people looking for stability just, for this reason, having been in business for 30 years – you can be sure that the safe and competitive position is here today, tomorrow, and should you wish for it, in ten years as well.
This does not mean, however, that stability equals stagnation or boredom, but rather the opposite. Stability means more opportunities to do something cool, to give people the freedom to decide, to take responsibility, and to work on exciting projects. Stability also means an ever-increasing scale, offering professionals in their field the opportunity to try something new and constantly evolve.
Variation, flexibility, and development
The topic of repetitive tasks often comes up when speaking with candidates – people are tired of working on the same thing every single day. Of course, there are specialists who enjoy working on the same app for five or ten years, developing and maintaining it, but the majority of people want to try something new and develop their skills further at one point or another. This is where the company’s internal culture and work style matter a lot – it should give people a chance to work on something that they may not usually encounter on a daily basis.
As a development company, Uptime Development offers its services to dozens of different companies, which means that although employees’ work is clearly focused on one thing on a daily basis, it’s very rare that something needs to be worked on without any variation for years at a time. In reality, at one point the project will be done and there’s a path to move onto something new.
This flexibility also means that everyone has the opportunity to develop their personal skills at a much more rapid pace. For example, if a back-end developer wants to grow into a full-stack developer, it is not a problem to find a challenge where, in addition to existing .NET skills, the nuances of React or other technologies can be obtained in a practical environment. You just need to signal your wish and if it’s at all possible, a challenge will be found for you to hone your skills.
The same goes for responsibility. Uptime’s philosophy is to give all specialists as much freedom of decision and responsibility as they want. Since there’s a large number of teams in the company, this philosophy also means that it’s much easier to move to the next level in your career. If someone feels they want to take on the role of a tech-lead, grow into an architect, or take any other steps in their career, then that’s always possible.
The people factor
You can never forget the human factor, no matter how flexible, awesome, or intriguing the company is. Every company has its own internal culture, its own type of people, and a certain kind of match between those people. Differences between companies can be huge and it’s not rare to be speaking with candidates who want to switch jobs precisely because their current company’s internal culture and colleagues aren’t exactly what they’re looking for.
It is up to me and other recruiters to make sure that we can offer the candidate a team that actually suits them. Another task on our plate is ensuring that the new person fits in well with their future colleagues and helps to make the team stronger as a whole. Fortunately, it is usually quite easy for both the candidate and the employer to understand whether someone’s values and motivations coincide with the rest of the team.
If you feel that you would like to understand ours’ or another company’s culture and work style a little bit better, then don’t be afraid to ask – finding the right match is in everyone’s interests after all.
All of the above means that there is a role for everyone somewhere – whether with us, with your current employer, or somewhere else – that can provide you with everything you really want. So it is not necessarily worth settling for what you already have. The peaceful holiday period is a good opportunity to think about what you really want to do and what’s the best way to achieve your goals. Should you see that Uptime Development could help you fulfill these goals, get in touch.
