DAN TRUPP AND RAY BROWN

HOW TO MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO A NEW JOB

MAKING YOUR MOVE:

/02

Whether you’re in your first job out of college or a mid-career engineering professional looking to make a change, when it’s time to make a career move, there are many things to consider besides landing a new position.

Let’s face it: the time surrounding a career move is one of upheaval, from resigning

from your old job to integrating properly into your new company. And without proper

guidance, this upheaval, though exciting, can feel overwhelming. After all, you don’t

want to burn any bridges when transitioning out of one position into a new one where

there are a lot of unknowns.

This ebook is structured to guide you smoothly and effectively through the process of

transitioning to a new job by making informed decisions and taking appropriate actions.

INTRODUCTION

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

In this ebook, you’ll

learn how to:

• assess your motivators

for wanting another job

• resign amicably

• make the most of the

onboarding process

• integrate into your new

company’s culture

/03

PART I: MOTIVATORS FOR MAKING A MOVE

Before looking for another job, it’s wise to spend some time reviewing exactly why you

want to move on from your current position. Set some time aside to find out what your

precise pain points are, because by analyzing the reasons you want to leave, you’ll be

better equipped to accept a new position that doesn’t have the same drawbacks and

meets more—or even all—of your requirements.

The reasons for wanting to find another job can vary from person to person, but the 2014

Kelly Global Workforce Index shows there are a number of commonly cited causes, including:

• Dissatisfaction with salary, benefits, and other financial incentives. This pain point

is cited by 60 percent of engineers as a reason to look for another job with a different

employer. Dissatisfaction can easily occur if you’ve been with your employer for a

couple of years and have been given more responsibilities—but your compensation

hasn’t increased correspondingly. At the same time, you might learn about

comparable positions that simply pay more or have better incentives.

• Lack of opportunities for advancement. Almost half of all engineers would leave

their employer if there were no more room for growth with the company. A lack of

opportunities for advancement can occur for any number of reasons, including

limitations due to the size of the company, corporate hiring practices, or in-house

competition for promotions. Whatever the reason, it’s usually preferable to move on

than to stagnate.

PART I: MOTIVATORS FOR MAKING A MOVE /04

60 percent of engineers cite dissatisfaction with salary, benefits, and financial incentives as a reason to look for another job.

DISSATISFACTION WITH SALARY

60%

/05PART I: MOTIVATORS FOR MAKING A MOVE

• Inferior work-life balance. Increasingly more workers are looking for a good work-life

balance, meaning they’re looking for more flexible work arrangements, less overtime,

and, in general, a better time distribution between their professional and personal

lives. As a result, 38 percent of engineers cite an inferior work-life balance as a reason

to make a career move.

• Current management. Almost a third of all engineers mention current management

as a reason for changing jobs. Whether it’s the inability to see eye-to-eye or issues with

the way a department is being managed, problems with management can be a major

pain point.

• Poor staff morale. Low employee morale can result from many things including

constantly changing goals, misunderstood expectations or lack of communication.

And, according to 31% of engineers, it’s a powerful motivator to look for another job.

38 percent of engineers cite an inferior work-life balance as a reason to make a career move.

INFERIOR WORK- LIFE BALANCE

38%

/06PART I: MOTIVATORS FOR MAKING A MOVE

• Stress. Work can be stressful for any number of reasons, varying from being

overburdened or participating in difficult projects to friction with colleagues or the

company suffering financially. Almost a quarter of engineers name stress as a reason to

look for another job.

• Lack of training and development programs. In our rapidly changing society where

innovation and the adoption of new technologies occur at a rapid pace, it’s imperative

for workers to continue to develop professionally. That’s why it’s unsurprising that

almost a fifth of all engineers cite a lack of training and development programs as a

reason to leave their current job.

• Lack of global or international opportunities. With increased globalization, 20

percent of engineers state a lack of global or international opportunities is a reason

to change jobs.

20 percent of engineers state a lack of global or international opportunities is a reason to change jobs.

LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES

20%

/07

PART II: MAKING A BETTER MOVE

Once you’ve decided to make a move from your current employer, it’s crucial that

you don’t just take the first opportunity that comes up simply because you need a

change. You need to make sure you’re making a better move that will advance your

personal and professional goals.

Keeping your current pain points in mind, make a detailed wish list for your new position

that considers aspects such as compensation, company culture, room for growth, work-

life balance, and opportunities to work internationally or in cutting-edge fields. Decide

on which points you’re prepared to compromise and which are non-negotiable, and use

this list as a guide when evaluating potential positions.

Once you begin the job search process, refer to the Kelly Engineering Resources® ebook

—Weighing Your Career Options—to guide you through the steps necessary to properly

evaluate job offers and select the one that’s best for you.

PART II: MAKING A BETTER MOVE /08

BY ANALYZING

THE REASONS

YOU WANT TO

LEAVE YOUR OLD

JOB, YOU’LL BE

BETTER EQUIPPED

TO ACCEPT A

NEW POSITION

THAT MEETS

MORE—OR EVEN

ALL—OF YOUR

REQUIREMENTS.

/09

PART III: THE RESIGNATION PROCESS

/10

The resignation process is one of the most sensitive aspects of transitioning to a

new job. Even if you’ve signed a contract with your new employer and have agreed

on a start date, it’s crucial that you handle your exit from your current organization

professionally. Remember: you don’t know when you’ll need a reference from your

current boss or an old colleague, so do everything you can to ensure an amicable

resignation process. Here are some do’s and don’ts to bear in mind:

• Do know exactly why you’re resigning. Especially if you find it difficult to say

goodbye, use the pain points list you created in Part I of this eBook to remind

yourself why this position is no longer good for you. If you’ve already accepted

another position, make a list of why you prefer this new job and how good it will be

for your career.

• Don’t use your resignation as a way to leverage a counteroffer from your current

manager. You can read more about this in the following chapter, but overall, when

announcing your resignation, you should be 100 percent certain that you will be

leaving your current employer, as well as prepared to leave immediately in the

unfortunate event you’re asked to.

• Do make an appointment with your manager to resign in person. During this

meeting, inform your manager that you’re resigning and state the exact date

you’ll leave.

PART III: THE RESIGNATION PROCESS

You should be 100 percent certain that you will be leaving your current employer.

BEFORE RESIGNING, BE CERTAIN.

100%

/11

• Don’t feel pressured to volunteer more information than necessary. Even if you

have a good relationship with your manager, providing too much information can

work against you in the event matters become disagreeable. It is likely that your

manager will be interested in the reason you are leaving, so give some thought to

this ahead of time so you are prepared with a respectful response.

• Do offer to help make the transition to your replacement as smooth as possible.

You can offer to train your replacement or, in the event your position involves highly

specialized work, be available for questions after you leave.

• Don’t inform your colleagues you’re leaving until you’ve told your manager. You

don’t want your manager or somebody in HR to hear about your resignation through

the grapevine.

• Do follow up your verbal resignation with a written letter to your manager and HR.

This formally indicates the termination of your employment and will be added to

your employee file.

PART III: THE RESIGNATION PROCESS

/12

• Don’t add more information than necessary to the letter. It should state your

resignation and the termination date of your employment (usually two weeks after

your resignation, unless otherwise specified in your contract or negotiated by your

employer). Other than that, omit information such as your reason for leaving or who

your new employer is. As a rule of thumb, keep your letter of resignation short and

to the point.

• Do thank your boss for the time you spent at the company. In your letter, state

again that you’re willing to help make a smooth transition to your replacement, and

also indicate your intentions to remain on good terms.

• Don’t include any emotional or unprofessional statements. Even if you can’t wait

to leave the company, keep your letter of resignation as professional and amicable

as possible.

Depending on the circumstances of your resignation, your last weeks at your current

company can be pressure-filled and very busy. Many employers take advantage of the

offer to train a replacement, so be prepared to work very hard for a while. But no matter

how busy you are, don’t forget to contact HR about things such as unused vacation days,

signing bonuses, pension, and any other matters that need to be addressed in order for

you to wrap up your old job and move on to your new position.

YOU NEVER KNOW

WHEN YOU’LL NEED

A REFERENCE, SO DO

EVERYTHING YOU

CAN TO ENSURE

AN AMICABLE

RESIGNATION PROCESS.

PART III: THE RESIGNATION PROCESS

/13

PART IV: COUNTEROFFERS

When you announce your resignation, your employer could well make you a counteroffer

in an attempt to get you to stay. However enticing the offer may be, it’s almost never a

good idea to accept it, and here’s why:

• Counteroffers are often made to avoid inconvenience. It costs time and money to

find and train a replacement, so it’s only logical that your current employer will try to

get you to stay. However, what often happens is that the promises leveraged during

a counteroffer are merely a fast tracking of a salary raise and/or promotion you would

have coming anyway. This means that if you accept the counteroffer, you’ll merely have

temporarily speeded things up—but you’ll likely have to wait longer for any future

raise or advancement opportunity. Moreover, situations like these beg the question:

why didn’t they offer you the raise or promotion earlier?

• Oftentimes, a counteroffer is made as a temporary fix while your employer

searches for a replacement. This means that as soon as your employer finds a good

candidate, you could be cut loose. Remember: everybody’s replaceable, and your

employer knows it. It then becomes only a matter of time before your employer can

get your replacement up to speed.

PART IV: COUNTEROFFERS /14

• Your loyalty will likely be called into question. If you’ve indicated that you want

to leave, there’s one thing that often can’t be fixed: the trust between you and your

employer. In fact, it could be irrevocably damaged. You could find yourself locked out

of opportunities because your loyalty to the company is called into question.

• No matter how attractive a counteroffer, it usually doesn’t address the pain points

that caused you to look for another job in the first place. Getting a raise or being

promoted won’t address any issues you have with management or might not positively

impact your work-life balance. Bear your pain points in mind and assess objectively

whether a counteroffer can truly address them.

• You don’t want to burn bridges with your potential employer. If you’re really

interested in working for the company that made you the offer that caused you

to resign, you don’t want to burn any bridges. But if you accept a counteroffer,

you’ll most likely forfeit any future chances of working at the company that caught

your interest.

Statistics show that the majority of workers who accept a counteroffer find themselves

back on the job market within a year. This can either be because they’re let go by their

employers or because they resign due to pain points that haven’t been addressed. The

numbers don’t lie: it’s rarely a good idea to accept a counteroffer, so give any you receive

proper consideration.

/15PART IV: COUNTEROFFERS

STATISTICS SHOW THAT

THE MAJORITY OF

WORKERS WHO ACCEPT

A COUNTEROFFER FIND

THEMSELVES BACK

ON THE JOB MARKET

WITHIN A YEAR.

/16

PART V: MAKING THE MOST OF THE ORIENTATION PROCESS

/17PART V: MAKING THE MOST OF THE ORIENTATION PROCESS

Your first months at your new company lay the foundation for the rest of your career

with your new employer. The sooner you can become productive, the better your job

prospects and the higher your chances of a successful career. That’s why it’s important

that you make the most of your orientation process and learn how to navigate the

company as soon as possible.

Your primary goal during the orientation process should be to get the resources you

need to do your job well and function within the company. Keep the following points

in mind:

• Be proactive. Your colleagues might think you know everything by the end of the first

week, but more often than not, you’ll still be in a learning curve. Be proactive and do

your best to find out all of the information you need by asking questions, requesting

assistance, and even shadowing others on specific tasks when necessary.

• Know the members of your team. Though this might seem like a logical step, it’s

not unusual for a new hire to walk into an office, only to be left to his or her own

devices on the first day because everybody’s so busy. Instead of waiting for people

to come to you, reach out to colleagues to introduce yourself. Ask your manager

to identify colleagues with whom you’ll be working most closely, and make a list of

their names and job titles. Then do your best to establish strong relationships with

these team members.

/18

• Get your equipment. Many companies provide laptops and/or phones to their

employees. Make sure you get any equipment as soon as possible so you can use

these tools to amp up your productivity.

• Find out who your trainer or mentor is. Whether you’re being formally trained on

the job or not, you’ll likely have a trainer, mentor, or go-to person who can answer

your questions and provide you with general direction. Make a point of finding out

who this person is as soon as possible and check in regularly with him or her. Use

your trainer or mentor as a resource to learn everything you need to know in order

to perform your duties well.

• Review your responsibilities with your manager. To ensure you know exactly

what tasks you’re supposed to be performing, review your responsibilities with your

manager. Establish a timeline to achieve certain things and check in with him or her

about completion.

• Learn how the company’s databases work. Locating information is key to

functioning properly in a new job, so it’s imperative you learn how to navigate your

company’s databases. Ask your manager or trainer to show you where to find and

store the data you need, and take note of any processes or procedures you’ll be using

on a regular basis. Remember to respect and employ all data security measures wisely.

PART V: MAKING THE MOST OF THE ORIENTATION PROCESS

/19

• Find out who the internal and external stakeholders are. Many projects have

internal and/or external stakeholders who are invested in a good outcome. As much

as possible, find out who these stakeholders are and why they’re invested in these

projects. The more you know about the value of the work you do for your company

and its partners, the better equipped you’ll be to make decisions that benefit you

and your employer.

During the first few months of your new job, it’s imperative that you keep reaching out

to your team for information and assistance. Remember: each appointment you make

and every relationship you build has the potential to be a step forward in your career.

YOUR PRIMARY

GOAL DURING THE

ORIENTATION PROCESS

SHOULD BE TO GET

THE RESOURCES YOU

NEED TO DO YOUR

JOB WELL AND

FUNCTION WITHIN

THE COMPANY.

PART V: MAKING THE MOST OF THE ORIENTATION PROCESS

/20

PART VI: HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE INTO YOUR NEW COMPANY

/21PART VI: HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE INTO YOUR NEW COMPANY

During the orientation process, you not only have to get what you need to do your job;

you also have to integrate into your new company. This might sound easy, especially

if you’re excited about your new position and are enjoying your work. However, each

organization has its own unique culture with specific methods, shared beliefs, and

common goals that everybody, from the newest intern to the most senior CEO, adhere

to. And unless you make a concentrated effort to fit in, you could wind up on the

sidelines and risk becoming unhappy in your job.

According to Forbes, 89 percent of hiring failures are caused by the candidate not

being a good cultural fit for the company. That’s a staggering statistic, and one

you don’t want to become a part of. Note that the longer you work for a company,

the more integrated you become with its culture. So if you were with your previous

employer for more than five years, it’s imperative that you discard entrenched beliefs

and methods and adapt to those of your new company.

89 percent of hiring failures are caused by the candidate not being a good cultural fit for the company

89%

/22PART VI: HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE INTO YOUR NEW COMPANY

Here’s the good news: you can learn about your company’s culture and use your acquired

knowledge to help you integrate. All you need is an open mind and a willingness to learn

and adapt. Keep the following points in mind:

• Observe. Instead of assuming you know the best way, take a step back and observe

how your new colleagues do things. Don’t challenge them to do it your way: build

relationships by learning their ways of accomplishing tasks.

• Ask as many questions as you need to understand the why. It becomes much easier

to embrace new methods if you understand the reasons for doing things a certain way.

• Do your best to fit in. Get to know as many people as you can and show a real

interest in them. Find common ground. Becoming friendly with your colleagues is the

fastest way to integrate into the company’s culture.

Never make the mistake of observing and listening but not adapting. It’s easy to resist

change, but the consequences could adversely affect your career. Instead, if you’re

having trouble adopting certain methods, procedures, or beliefs, look for a way to

compromise. Determine what works for you, what works for the team dynamic, and how

to invite a relationship between the two.

/23PART VI: HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE INTO YOUR NEW COMPANY

For example, if the company culture encourages individuals to solve problems on their own

and you’re used to addressing challenges as a part of a group, you could solve a portion of

the problem by yourself and then ask other people for their opinions about your solution.

This makes you work as an individual while still inviting group participation at a later stage.

Integrating into the group is a gradual process, and one that you should work on every day.

Be prepared to try new ways of doing things, and keep an open mind to different beliefs.

Because the sooner you’re fully integrated, the sooner you’ll be productive and able to

move forward with your career.

/24CONCLUSION

Transitions can be exciting, yet stressful.

Once you’re aware of your motivators for wanting to make a move, it’s key that

your next opportunity isn’t just a bridge to get you out of an unsatisfying situation.

Instead, it should address your motivators and advance your career. Of course, when

leaving one job and starting another, you oftentimes have to accomplish tasks you’re

unaccustomed to, such as writing a letter of resignation or navigating counteroffers.

But if, from the very beginning of this process, you ask yourself the right questions and

concentrate on strengthening relationships, you can maximize your career trajectory

while minimizing your stress.

/25

SOURCES:

2014 Kelly Global Workforce Index

http://moneyfor20s.about.com/od/yourjob/tp/How-Can-I-Tell-It-Is-Time-To-Move-On-To-A-New-Job.htm

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/09/04/14-signs-its-time-to-leave-your-job/2/

http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2013/08/12/8-ways-to-graciously-quit-your-job

http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/haresign2.htm

http://career-advice.monster.com/in-the-office/leaving-a-job/sample-resignation-letter/article.aspx

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resignationletters/a/resignationlet.htm

http://www.ere.net/2012/08/09/why-you-and-your-candidates-should-never-accept-a-counteroffer/

http://news.yahoo.com/why-shouldnt-counteroffer-133221049.html

http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/should-you-consider-a-job-counter-offer-395246.html

http://www.mribcs.com/counter_offer.html

http://www.kellyocg.com/Blogs/Onboarding_–_Make_the_most_of_a_new_hire_s_first_week/?terms=make%20the%20most%20of%20a%20new%20job

http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2014/06/what-do-new-hires-want-from-onboarding-infographic

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-gottsman/7-tips-for-a-productive-f_b_5226033.html

http://www.thedailymba.com/2010/06/21/your-first-90-days-at-a-new-job/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/04/25/the-most-important-reason-people-fail-in-a-new-job/

/26/26

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

DAN TRUPP is the Product Director for the Americas Engineering Product Center of Excellence

of Kelly Services, Inc. His primary responsibilities include leading strategic business development

of engineering workforce solutions throughout the West and Southwest regions of the United

States. He is an engineering subject matter expert for numerous industries including medical

device, aerospace, oil and gas, and semiconductor. Prior to joining Kelly, Dan held various

management positions with technical staffing firms in the United States. He attended Colorado

Technical University and is an active member of several associations including the Energy Professionals

Group, Colorado Governor’s Energy Board, and the Colorado Bioscience Association.

RAY BROWN is senior engineering recruiter with Kelly Engineering Resources® and is responsible

for recruiting all levels of engineers in a broad range of industries. He has nearly 16 years of

experience in the technical recruiting arena.