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Should you tell your employer that you're looking for a new job?

Robey

Working in HR for many years has left me with a conviction that I can only help a person if I know what they really want.  Lying or being economical with the truth is the surest pathway to poor decisions.

So when I discuss my career needs and decisions with a Line Manager, if I'm unhappy I'm inclined to be honest about it.  But if I know that my current employer can't meet my needs and, as as result, I'm looking for work elsewhere, should I tell them that?

I've always had very open conversations about this sort of thing with my line managers and subordinates, but others I know - outside HR but in a wide range of industries and roles - consider this to be an absolute no-no and are horrified by the ease with which I talk about career aspirations within my circle.  When I've pressed them to explain why they consider it to be such a red-line issue, they're struggled to articulate anything concrete but there seems to be a wide belief that telling your employer that you're looking elsewhere is career suicide, that you'll be the first to be made redundant and that you'll be sidelined from anything important.  Of course, I can imagine that an employer would want to exclude a potential leaver from commercially sensitive work, but isn't it more professional to say "I'm probably leaving, so don't put me on that thing because I won't finish it" than to lie about it then leave your employer in the lurch?

I can't decide if I'm hopelessly naive and trusting about this or if my friends are unnecessarily cynical.

Any thoughts?  What sort of risk might you expose yourself to by being honest about your career plans with your boss?

Parents
  • This could be a good idea, a neutral act or utter folly depending on the culture of the organisation, the nature of the work you do, the personality and beliefs of your boss and your relationship with your boss. If you know someone has one foot out the door, with the best will in the world it is going to affect how you manage them.

    Does that expose you to risk? Decisions have to be made on how to allocate the training budget, who gets the juicy project that provides development opportunities etc etc . I don't think it is unfair to prioritise the person who will be sticking around for a while. So the risk there is of a slightly less rewarding experience.

    The greater risk is that outlined by Keith - the effect on your working relationships and professional standing if the next opportunity doesn't come along on cue, and the more senior you are, the longer it can take to find your next move. A headhunter of my acquaintance told me she usually advises people at director level to allow a year to find their next role.
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  • This could be a good idea, a neutral act or utter folly depending on the culture of the organisation, the nature of the work you do, the personality and beliefs of your boss and your relationship with your boss. If you know someone has one foot out the door, with the best will in the world it is going to affect how you manage them.

    Does that expose you to risk? Decisions have to be made on how to allocate the training budget, who gets the juicy project that provides development opportunities etc etc . I don't think it is unfair to prioritise the person who will be sticking around for a while. So the risk there is of a slightly less rewarding experience.

    The greater risk is that outlined by Keith - the effect on your working relationships and professional standing if the next opportunity doesn't come along on cue, and the more senior you are, the longer it can take to find your next move. A headhunter of my acquaintance told me she usually advises people at director level to allow a year to find their next role.
Children
  • in reply to Elizabeth Divver

    "This could be a good idea, a neutral act or utter folly depending on the culture of the organisation, the nature of the work you do, the personality and beliefs of your boss and your relationship with your boss. If you know someone has one foot out the door, with the best will in the world it is going to affect how you manage them."

    Totally agree. It DEPENDS. 

  • in reply to Steve Bridger
    Yes, it depends, *but* unless one is totally sure that no-one that matters at your existing employer will be open-minded and relaxed / happy with this, personally I wouldn't ever risk it. That said, in the past I have canvassed to review sharply upwards the salary of certain staff where word on the streets has it that they're looking for a better-paid job,
  • in reply to David

    If .... 

    • the company culture is supportive of people developping into bigger and better professionals, and
    • it accepts that it will not always be able to provide opportunities to progress, and
    • it understands and accepts that people can and will go elsewhere to grow, 

    then an open and trusting approach can work well. I've done it with my own staff over the years, and seen them grow into better professionals elsewhere - some of them have even come back to the company into bigger jobs for which no natural stepping stone existed internally.

    Sure, from a selfish company view it can leave you with the hassle of training up replacements, but fresh faces also bring in fesh perspectives, don't they?

    On the other hand, if the 3 conditions above are not met, then taking this route can be at best "risky" and at worst dangerous or suicidal

    Look before you leap