Internet Creates Fickle Workplace

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Employee loyalty has taken a dive since the advent of the Internet, making
job hopping easier and threatening the stability and intellectual property
control of organizations, according to a report.

The survey by recruitment firm Morgan & Banks has found that 77 percent of
females and 84 percent of males think the Internet has made it easier to
change jobs, with 72 percent of males and 66 percent of females saying this
has affected the the length of time that people stay in jobs.

Younger respondents of the 2,500 employees surveyed were the most
enthusiastic advocates of job-hopping, with 100 percent of those in the
19-24 age group and 85 percent of those in the 25-34 age group claiming the
Internet has made sourcing and securing new positions easier.

One of the most important aspects of online job searching is discretion,
according to Jonathon Morse of Morgan & Banks Technology. “A massive 60
percent of males and 52 percent of females are looking for a job on their
present company’s time,” he said. “The Internet…enables them to thoroughly
research the position in a discrete manner – during work hours,” said Morse.

Common loyalty programs such as the offering of equity in place of salary
have become less effective in a post-bubble world, according to a separate
study by SACS Executive Solutions. “Potential employees have become much
more cautious about trading salary for equity as they come to realize the
risks involved,” said Andrew Marty, managing director at SACS. “The days of
people accepting 50 percent of their salary as equity are gone…employees
have much more at stake if the company fails to perform.”