Posted

 

 

Even though most employers understand that some of their staff is looking to move on to other opportunities, that doesn’t mean conducting a job search while at work is wise. When you’re on company time, you’re being paid to perform duties associated with your position, and looking for a new job certainly doesn’t qualify.

Getting caught can have serious repercussions even if you aren’t behind on your assignments. Here are just some of the reasons you shouldn’t job search at work.

Company Systems Are Monitored

Your business computer and email address are almost guaranteed to be monitored by an IT security team. This means what you do isn’t a secret, and you could even be seen as abusing company assets by conducting your job search using these tools, regardless of whether you’re on the clock.

If your activities are discovered, you could be reprimanded or even fired, depending on company policy. And both of those can hurt your chances of getting a new job, making the risk not worth the potential reward.

Work Hours Are for Work

When you are on the job, you are being paid to perform certain duties and be available at specific times. A job search is clearly a personal pursuit, so it should never be handled on company time. Just as using company computers or email to seek out a new position can come with repercussions, so can handling personal business while you’re on the clock.

It might not be easy to coordinate certain activities on your own time, but it is a necessity. Avoid checking your personal email unless you are on a break, at lunch, or at home. Make sure any interviews are scheduled during your lunch break, or before or after your work hours. If you must schedule an interview at another time, use vacation time so you can leave the office without an issue.

Your Manager May Find Out

Many job seekers don’t inform their bosses when they start looking for a new job. This decision is often based on a fear of being treated differently if the manager knows you have one foot out of the door. And this can be especially true if you aren’t sure how long your search will take and you want to maintain a level of job security while you look.

If you conduct a job search while you are at work, even if you use personal devices and only handle activities when you aren’t on the clock, there’s a greater chance you’ll activities will be discovered by your manager. This can make life difficult depending on the nature of your relationship, or could even lead them to fire you since you don’t appear to be as dedicated to your position.

In almost every case, handling your job search outside of work is the wisest move, and it doesn’t have to be difficult. If you are looking for a new job, the recruiters at TempStaff can assist with your search while respecting the sanctity of your current work hours. Contact us today to see how our services can help you land a new job without affecting your current one.

 

 


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *