(WXYZ) — Having too many jobs on your resume used to be a red flag for employers, but now it's an accepted norm as more people turn to job-hop as a way to advance in their careers.
Higher wages and better titles are proving to be benefits for job seekers, but the practice of switching jobs every couple of years isn't what most employers or employees want.
For Amanda Godward, the owner of Ecotelligent Homes, hiring is an ongoing headache. It takes three fully-staffed crews to keep up with demand.
"It’s an added stress, to an already stressful position as an owner," Godward said.
Employees typically stay for two and a half years, according to Goward. That shortened time span aligns with government data that shows on average, people 25-35 years old are only at a job for 2.8 years.
"People say to me, 'well why are people quitting their jobs?' The answer is because they can," David Strubler, a professor of HR development at Oakland University, said.
According to Strubler, job hopping is proving to be the quickest way to make more money, with Pew Research finding an average raise of 10% for half the people who take the leap.
"Changing jobs and learning on the job actually became the key for me being able to have any kind of upward mobility," Tonya Thomas, a faculty member at Wayne State University, said.
People I spoke to say switching jobs every few years is more of a necessary evil than a desire.
"I would like to stay somewhere long term, but I know how things are changing," Ike Ajaero, a Wayne State senior, said.
"Most people that I'm friends with, they want to stay where they are most comfortable," Brianna Daniels, a WSU junior, added.
Being comfortable means competitive wages, scheduled flexibility, a healthy work environment and career advancement.
Jennifer Llewellyn is the manager of workforce development in Oakland County. She said it's expensive to recruit. To keep people at their jobs, the state dedicates $55 million to help employers train and retain their employees through the go-pro talent fund.
Businesses can apply to the Going Pro Talent fund in May
"Our first year in 2014 we had three companies in Oakland County that applied," she said.
In January, they had to filter through 136 companies.
Godward's company is a recipient and it will allow some of her crew to obtain additional certifications and cash.
