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

Robey, this is a great question and an interesting viewpoint for you to take. I've enjoyed your responses so far, and I love that both you and one of your team have both responded; this level of genuine transparency is really refreshing.

I've seen both approaches with this. Personally, I've not told an employer when I've been looking for another role, mainly for the reasons others have highlighted, but mainly because I did not want to risk my immediate financial security by doing so, despite that being fairly unlikely in reality. That's not to say I wouldn't be open though - I would assess the situation against a number of factors including my boss, the business culture, my own personal security etc etc.

At a previous employer, I had a HR pro who worked for me who decided to be really honest with me, about all manner of things, including their desire to obtain a new role. As the manager, I was pleased to have been told. It meant I had time to prepare for that eventuality, I had thinking time to consider how I would deal with it if it happened immediately or six-12 months down the line, and it meant I had time to decide if I wanted to change their mind, if that was the right thing to do, or to help them with their search so I had a motivated employee leaving on great terms. In this particular situation, I was glad to be told, continued to treat them as if they were staying indefinitely, made contingency plans, allowed them anything they needed such as time off for interviews, but I stopped there, I didn't proactively go out of my way to hurry the process along, as from a business point of view, I really needed them for as long as I could keep them; they were excellent and replacing them was going to be difficult.

I'm a firm believer that the employment environment is about to change dramatically, beyond the traditional norms that we have become accustomed to, and whilst I have serious misgivings about the 'millennial' stereotyping and the perceived benefits of the gig economy, I do believe that there is something in the desire to be more transient in how we approach employment. Therefore, I feel that if workers want to move on, develop themselves, try a new challenge and learn new skills then surely it's better as an employer to support them, use the benefit of time to prepare the organisation for the eventuality and part on positive terms as you'll never know when you might need each other in future.

Hi Robey

I don’t think you are hopelessly naïve or your friends are unnecessarily cynical. You sound like someone who is self-confident and not afraid to trust others and take risks. This is a great strength to have and doesn’t come easily to everyone.

Having said that, I think a decision to be honest and open about wanting to leave depends a lot on the type of relationship you have with your line manager. How supportive of you are they? Would they take it as a betrayal or appreciate your telling them in the best interests of the company? Do you have a plan to submit to your manager to ensure a smooth transition?

I kept on telling her how much I learn here and what good people the CIPD community enjoys. :D

It all depends on the relationship you have with your boss coupled with the culture of the organisation. In some companies once people know you want to leave they write you off as if you have done something wrong. This is probably the experience of most people you know. What is the point in telling people you want to leave - if you don`t find another job soon and you remain where you are people begin to view you differently ie he`s always saying he`s going to leave. What are you trying to achieve by saying you want to leave? Do you want a raise, or do you want people to say please don`t go. Remember none of us are indispensable. As soon as you leave your employer will replace you with someone else. You may disagree but you will probably have more credibility if you find a job and then resign. There`s plenty of time for people to make a better offer once they know you are actually leaving.

"What is the point in telling people you want to leave?"

Succession planning for your employer is the main one. It's a way of saying "it'll be a bit inconvenient when I go, but I'm going to do my best to minimize that before I do". It feels more grown up, responsible and professional than going on like everything's normal then dropping everything in a puff of smoke and a cry of "seeya, suckers!"

But I also value the opportunity, when asking for some flexibility in working hours, to say "I have a job interview" rather than "I have a dentist's appointment".

This is such an interesting topic, thank you for bringing this up Robey. I have to say I agree with you on the succession planning part. I chose to leave my Senior HR Advisor position of 2 years and handed my notice in just over a month ago after attending an interview for another position closer to home.

Had I waited until now to hand my notice in I would have left my line manager (who I have a good working relationship with) in the lurch. I'm so glad I did mention as they've been very open and honest with me regarding recruiting for my replacement (once the initial shock of my departure had dispersed). It's also given her the opportunity to look at the department and see what other support is needed, she has taken on my views on what's needed amongst her own, that of the new HRM and the workload we have.

I couldn't imagine leaving her in the lurch or giving a short notice "see ya later" given how much work we have on, I've made it my mission to leave the place knowing I have done as much as possible to minimise the workload. Not only that, by my manager has been an incredible support to me both professionally and personally in the past two years.

I do understand where others are coming from as in the past I have held off telling my line management I was unhappy, despite knowing it was probably written all over my face. I think it depends on the type of company you are with and if you feel it won't be held against you.

I am the HR Advisor in a school, and in education it is absolutely frowned upon if teachers do not tell the Head they are looking elsewhere, and career development is positively encouraged, even if it means a good member of staff moving on . Teachers are expected to discuss career aspirations and also to notify the Head if they have applied for positions elsewhere. This seems a very healthy, open state of affairs to me, and means that it is recognised that good teachers should not be obstructed in their careers. Heads will usually give positive advice and support to any teacher who asks for it with regard to interviews, career path etc etc. I guess not taking it personally if someone wants to move ahead with their career is the key.

Lesley, I also work in education, I am interested to know if you feel this is the same for support staff who want to move on/progress? Are they usually honest in their approach like teachers are expected to be?

Hi Francesca
No - I don't think the same applies on the whole to associate staff, as we call them, although those in very senior roles tend to be more so. Other staff do tend to present a fait accompli as in other sectors.

Hi

In my current role (im on a FTC) ive always made it clear that I am looking and should the right role come along I will be leaving.

My manager has always been supportive and I guess theres a part of her that knows if a member of her team can move on to bigger and better opportunities then she has done a good job in training that person which in turn has helped them to move on

All the best