Change your job for better salary, company loyalty doesn’t pay, says HR expert; but, there’s a catch

"I don’t think loyalty pays off," said Vera Lau, a 27-year-old who has worked at three different firms over the years on the concept of corporate loyalty.

Talking to CNBC Make It, Lau, who is part of the generation that has been challenging corporate norms, GenZ, said that loyalty is “very transactional.”

"You’re only valuable for as long as they see you as valuable. If you don’t learn and you don’t earn, it’s time to go," she said.

She told CNBC Make It that the situation in the 1980s and 1990s "was very different." "People were just grateful to hold a job and to make a paycheck.”

“Our perspective on work has changed," she said adding that our lives are not built around it anymore, and a paycheck itself is not even enough to pay the bills or buy a house.

Similarly, Jerome Zapata, human resources director at Kickstart Ventures, said that loyalty in the corporate world does not pay off.

He said that job-hop employees are likely paid better because “merit increases can only go so far.” With job-hopping, candidates can also negotiate from a position of strength when they first join a company.

“[During previous generations], if you stay loyal to an organization ... they’ll take care of you for life. Right now, the retirement benefits are not livable,” Zapata said, adding that job-hopping early in one’s career can even give candidates an “edge”, as they often join having gained more responsibility or perspective.

A May 2024 study by WorkProud, which surveyed 1,000 full-time employees, found that only 23% of workers aged 42 and under are strongly interested in long-term tenure with their current employers. Among workers aged 30 and under, this interest drops to 18%.

'Can be considered a flight risk'

Frequent job changes are stigmatized. Job-hopping is generally more accepted among early career candidates; however, for those in senior leadership roles, demonstrable loyalty is an important quality that companies look for.

Sumita Tandon, Director for HR, APAC told CNBC Make It that employees should weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of hopping jobs. "It could be lucrative if they want to explore new career paths or a pay rise but if they do it too frequently, they can also be considered a flight risk, and companies may be cautious in investing in them.”