We all know change is the only constant. We have experienced many changes at work, at home, at school and in our community as a result of the pandemic in the last two years or more. During the pandemic, everyone was required to work from home due to the restrictions, and people began to enjoy the flexibility of working from home. 

Now in the spring of 2022, working from home has become a central point for many employees. Maureen McKinnon, Executive Career Coach at McKinnon Executive Coaching, has worked from home for years, and knows how great it is to work from home – no commute, no daily business attire, and the flexibility to arrange her own schedule.

Since the restrictions have eased, a new problem has arisen for the corporate world where companies are considering if they should require employees to return back to the office or set up a new hybrid flexible office system or remain in the work from home model. 

We are seeing companies in Vancouver in the same industry with two different perspectives. At one company, employees are required to return to the office and they have now lost employees. The other company is offering full time work from home and a hybrid system plus salary increases and other new perks. They haven’t lost one staff member. In fact, they have been hiring staff from their competitor.

Many large corporations are requiring their employees to return to the office, and now corporations are suffering from an unexpected consequence – employees are resigning and looking for more flexibility. This is known as the “Great Resignation”. In the last six months, this has lead to a tipping point in the job market. We’re in a “candidates’ market” where employers are fighting for talent.

Many women we’ve talked to are now considering whether they should make a move or change, and we love that most women are at least thinking about changing jobs. If you’re also thinking of changing jobs, here are few tips to help you work through the decision:

1. Focus on the bigger picture – Your Career

When thinking about a new job, most women think about the tasks, activities, projects and deadlines that make up their daily, weekly, and  monthly “time” at work. Most people are  narrowly focused on their job and forget about the bigger picture – their Career. 

Take a step out of those job tasks and think about what you want to do with your career overall and where you want to be. 

2. Try a Career Envisioning Exercise  

To help you think about your career, do a career envisioning exercise. Create a document where you write down your short- and long-term goals, and how you envision yourself in the near and far future. 

Then do a comparison between your current and ideal role to see how large the gap is between the two. To close the gap, think about the role you should be looking for that can get you closer to your ideal role.

3. Start Looking at Internal Opportunities First

First look for opportunities within your company. There could be staff that may have resigned from your company resulting in possible promotions to fill open roles. 

Start off by finding or drawing your company organizational chart. Next, know how promotions are given and who are the decision makers and who has influence on those with authority to hire/promote employees. You want to be visible and let decision makers know that you are interested in a new role inside the company.

Finishing Off

Now is a great time to consider a job change. With the great resignation, new opportunities are arising in many companies every day. If you are looking for a job change, start with the above tips and look at the bigger picture before immediately jumping to the next role. Think about your career, your goals and where you want to be. 

If you need further support to help you decide on the job change or move, Book a Free Career Strategy Session with Maureen today.