As I’ve said in the past, people leave jobs for many reasons. Sometimes it’s because of outside-of-work obligations, or maybe they’re looking for a new challenge. Maybe they’ve gone as far as they could in a role. Maybe they’ve seen all the layoffs across every industry and company size and know they need to look out for themselves.
None of this is shocking and it all sounds so obvious. So why am I bringing it up?
Because it matters, especially when you’re on the hiring side.
Why the stigma around job-hopping needs a rethink
Too often, we assume that a resume with short tenures = red flag. We cling to the rule that someone should stay at least 3 years, 4 years, 5 years. But those rules were set during a different era of work.
In the U.S., employment is predominantly “at-will” meaning job security is more myth than reality. So the notion that switching jobs frequently is inherently indicative of disloyalty or instability is flawed.
That’s not to say all job-hopping is good. I’ve encountered candidates with new jobs every 3-4 months. This absolutely warrants scrutiny. But that’s what an interview is for. The blanket rules need to go.
Two seismic shifts changed the game
In my career, there have been two game-changer events I’d describe as “before” and “after”:
- 2008 financial crisis: The economy collapsed, millions lost white-collar jobs, bailouts followed. It exposed how fragile employment really is.
- March 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: The world stopped. Layoffs happened en masse. Remote work exploded. Everything changed.
Both of those forced individuals and organisations to rethink what “career path” means, what “loyalty” means, and what “job security” really is.
What the data shows in 2025
- The premium for switching jobs has significantly shrunk. Job switchers are seeing median pay bumps of ~4.8%, compared with 4.6% for stayers. A much smaller gap than in previous years. (GiniTalent)
- The job market is cooling. Listings are down, hiring is slower, employers are more cautious. (Business Insider)
- At the same time, job-hopping as a concept remains popular among younger workers, but the motivations are shifting: more about growth, purpose, learning rather than just salary jumps. (LinkedIn)
So what does this mean for hiring leaders?
In a world where talent is more fluid and careers are less linear, here’s how I suggest approaching short tenures and job-hopping:
- Context matters. If someone leaves a role after 18 months, ask why. Did the company pivot? Did a leader change and direction shift? Did the person accomplish what they set out to do?
- Impact over duration. A two-year stay where someone delivered strong outcomes, learned new skills, expanded responsibility can be more meaningful than a five-year stay of stagnation.
- Look for patterns. One short stint can make sense. Three or four in a row (regardless of reason) may warrant deeper unpacking.
- Be transparent in your hiring. If you as an employer expect 3-5 years from a hire, say it. Share growth roadmaps. Promote learning. And ask how the candidate thinks about their own trajectory.
- Frame your evaluation forward-looking. Instead of asking, “Why have you changed jobs so much?” ask, “What did you leave behind, what did you take with you, what’s next?” This shifts the conversation from judgment to exploration.
What this means for candidates (and hiring CS leaders alike)
If you yourself have switched roles a few times, or are considering a move, don’t hide it. Instead:
- Be ready to articulate your story: Why you left, what you achieved, what you brought to the new role and why you’re now making the next move.
- Frame it as strategic, not scattershot. Show how each move added to your skill-set, network or scope.
- Recognize the market: the payout for hopping isn’t what it once was. So moves without meaningful learning, growth or value-creation may be viewed skeptically.
- For hiring managers: use job-hopping as a conversation starter, not a deal-breaker. Especially in roles like Customer Success or Account Management in SaaS, where adaptability, speed of learning and breadth of experience can be assets, as long as they’re framed properly.
The old rules around job tenure are outdated. The landscape of work, careers and companies has changed. In 2025, job-hopping is neither automatically good nor automatically bad. It’s a signal, and one you should interpret with nuance.
For hiring leaders: change the lens. Instead of spotting “job-hopper = risk,” ask “What’s the story here and does it add value to what we’re building?”
For professionals: don’t fear short tenures, just make sure when you move you’re moving toward something, not away from something. And be ready to explain why.
Because in today’s world of work, mobility isn’t the enemy. Aimlessness is.
Robert Statsky 