Why quitting your job should be the last thing you should do

July 9, 2021

Sound like a weird thing for a recruiter? Well it’s not actually. Before commencing a new job search a good recruitment consultant who is motivated about securing you the next right move will dig deep in to your reasons for looking to leave and question to find out if you have done everything else to improve your current situation before actually quitting your current job.

Why would a recruiter who’s core service is to find people new jobs, do anything to deter you from engaging them on a new job search with you?

It’s simple. Any good experienced recruiter digs below the surface. We don’t take the one word answer/reason surrounding the question about why you are looking to leave. We aren’t satisfied with accepting that more money solves everyone’s problems and is the reason most people leave jobs. We know full well that many times, the urge to quit a job can be an emotional one, it can be a knee-jerk reaction to a short-term incident or problem that you just might not be able to see your way other out of. We know and appreciate that there are many other steps to be explored before you should decide to quit your job. Finding out what your real motivations are, is what consultative recruiters know is paramount to the success on the job search (and to you fully committing to quit the one you are in).

Isn’t a recruiter’s job to attract/sell/lure/headhunt you out of your job so they can place you elsewhere?

It is in our best interest to try and secure you the new, dream job for you and this is after all the service we provide but if you are not fully committed to taking the leap when new job offer’s roll in, employers can be negatively impacted by a declined offer or withdrawn/unsure candidate. Aside from the hard work invested by the recruiter to match your skills, market your background, present your resume, carry out background checks, facilitate interviews, provide interview preparation and more for the recruitment process, employers can be left even more frustrated. Hiring manager’s invest time/energy/effort into the hiring process (usually with multiple candidates) in the hopes of securing someone with your skill set so the last thing you want to do is hit them with the “here’s what you could have won” scenario.

That is not to say that there is anything wrong with changing your mind on the direction of your job search or that you have to commit to accepting a job offer just because you committed to interviews. The bottom line is, it is important to really thoroughly identify what your reasons are for you wanting to leave your current place and ask yourself or reflect on the following questions:

Why do I really want to leave?

Is this just a short-term reaction to something or have I been feeling like this for a while?

Do I really want to leave or is there anything else that my current employer can do to help to resolve my issue/s? Have I asked or raised the issue?

What do I need from my next role to ensure that I am not in the same situation?

If I go to resign and my current employer offers me the things that I feel are my reasons for leaving, will I stay?

Even if my employer does not make any of the changes but offers me more money, would I stay?

Could my issue be resolved by moving to another department/new role internally? Is that an option?

Is there anything that my current employer could do to keep me?

What are my areas of flexibility/compromise for the next roles I will consider if I am unable to get every single thing I am looking for? (in order of preference)

After thoroughly considering all of the above, speak with family/friends about what you plan to do and gain their input. Although this should not form the basis of your decision on whether or not to start a new job search, sometimes hearing from the people who care most about you can offer some perspective from an objective viewpoint.

Once you have done all of these things, then we would recommend utilizing The Agency for specialist, local advice on your job search in the Cayman market. It’s so important to work with experts who know and understand what your needs and motivations are, and that push you out of your comfort zone, testing around all of the reasons why you want to leave your current role. That is the only way to feel confident and happy in your decision once the ideal and dream job is secured.