Young workers refuse to settle for “only OK” jobs

Businesses and employers decry the tendency of young Vietnamese workers to change jobs frequently, Photo: Le Toan

A new trend

A recent survey conducted by recruitment firm Navigos Group on more than 3,000 Vietnamese people born between 1980 and 1986 found that 69 per cent of respondents said they were considering moving to another job, while 70 per cent of respondents said that they work in a company for an average of four years or less. It is easy to see that young Vietnamese people’s level of commitment to an organisation is not high.

The reports show that the rate of job changes among young employees is on the rise. They are always willing to change their jobs for many reasons such as low pay, unsuitable working environment, an unhappy relationship with their bosses and colleagues, and many more.

The job-hopping trend among millennials goes against the traditional work culture in Vietnam, where state-owned enterprises hire graduates and employ them until they retire. The job-for-life system is meeting its end with a private sector boom, which has made the labour market more competitive.

Job on, job off

After having graduated from the Banking Academy, 23-year-old Nguyen Thanh became an employee in the sales department of a bank in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan district. However, due to the high-pressure work combined with a low entry-level salary, so he decided to quit after only three months.

Having no intention of finding an office job in line with his education, Thanh decided to become a bike driver for ride-hailing service Grab and work as a shipper for a seafood store. Although he has to be on the move a lot, these jobs are not too stressful and bring in an average income of VND15-20 million ($663-885) per month, which satisfies him.

Thanh said some of his friends also have college degrees and some even worked at state agencies, but still left their jobs to switch to driving for Grab due to the freelance nature and higher average incomes in this line of work.

Thanh and his friends are by no means in the minority, as many young people today, especially new graduates, prioritise their immediate financial concerns and personal demands instead of choosing a job that offers opportunities for promotion and gaining experience.

The rapid development of technology in the era of Industry 4.0 has given them more attractive job opportunities without the requirement of working for long periods of time to accumulate expertise. Therefore, they are willing to quit jobs for a variety of reasons but mostly low wages, and bad relationships with bosses and colleagues and switch to new jobs they see better.

Sharing her reasons for job-hopping, 26-year-old Nguyen Lam said that even though she had not completed the probationary period at her former company, she still decided to quit that job and move to a new one.

“In my new job, I’m treated more fairly and the salary for the probationary period is VND7 million ($310) per month. In addition, I will be paid extra bonuses and incentives according to sales number when I enter an official labour contract.” Lam said.

Le Hong Anh, 25 years old and an accountant at a company in Hanoi’s Dong Da district, said she has changed jobs three times since her graduation.

“I used to be a customer care officer at a South Korean-invested shopping company, but because of the high pressure and unsatisfying environment, I quit after six months. Then, I worked as an office administrator. This job had no pressure, but it was not challenging enough, so I quit again and moved to my current job. The job is quite interesting, but the salary is not high, so I am still considering,” Anh told VIR.

A down for employers

Switching jobs to gain experience, knowledge, and to find a suitable working environment is vital for career development. However, many young employees simultaneously changing jobs within a short time span can cause serious damage to employers and create consequences for the Vietnamese labour market.

While employers increasingly require higher levels of professional competence, responsibility, and dedication, the majority of new employees put the salary factor on top, along with expectations for benefits. When these needs aren’t met, many young people think of quitting to find a better environment.

This occurs frequently, causing many employers to become on edge. Many business owners complain that they often face a shortage of personnel, while finding new employees who are capable of meeting job requirements is increasingly difficult.

However, there are also contradictory views on this situation. Pham Thanh Hung, vice chairman of Cen Group, said he has worked at dozens of companies. Hung also advised young people that if they find their jobs inconvenient or inappropriate, they should quit immediately, even if they have not found a new job.

Hung’s statements were met with fierce opposition from many business owners and employers. Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy general director of the Furama Resort Danang, said, “New employees leaving will cause a great loss to employers due to the costs of training them over a period of up to six months. In my opinion, young people should think carefully about whether they are suitable for a job before applying and if they decide to enter into a contract with an employer, they should do their best.”

Bui Thi Bich Lien, CEO of Thuy Thien Nhu JSC, said that she has been continuously suffering from personnel fluctuations in the company for over a year. Some young employees who passed the recruitment and training courses would suddenly quit without a word, some of them even after only one day of working officially. “I had a staff member quit his job because he did not want to ship food for clients at noon. Instead, he then joined Grab to drive around the city all day and night. It’s ridiculous,” Lien said.

Most employers say they do not value candidates who change jobs too frequently in a short time, because they lack confidence in them and are wary about their career investment.

Vu Quang Thanh, deputy director of the Hanoi Centre for Employment Service, said that “job-hopping” is an inevitable trend of the market economy.

“There are many young people who are skilled, professional, and always looking for new job opportunities. It creates a great deal of disturbance in the labour market, contributing to the creation of a certain unemployment rate,” Thanh said.

Employers need to adapt

In order to cope with this situation as well as retain skilled workers, businesses are now paying more attention to communication with employees in order to make them feel heard and understood. Many companies also publicise the specific promotion path for each position and give employees opportunities to learn and improve their skills in daily work.

Lien Ha, head of Human Resources Department at ORFARM, said, “Businesses need to offer attractive levels of income to retain qualified employees, but must also be willing to remove weak, unco-operative ones. When businesses show the right attitude in their investment in training and developing human resources, they will not be left behind in the labour market.”