"Knowledge Nomad" sounds so much better than "Job Hopper"

Interesting article: High Turnover: Should You Care? “New research suggests that you focus less on retaining employees and more on re-recruiting your ‘knowledge nomads.’”

Increasing employee mobility— the degree to which workers change companies— appears to be a fact of corporate life in the 21st century. But are such workers less committed to their employers as a result?

The common perception is that workers who hop from job to job are less committed; perhaps even suffer from an inability to commit. However, the reality is that this new generation of “knowledge nomads,” while moving frequently, do form attachments and commit to employers when they stop, according to Todd L. Pittinsky (HBS PHDOB '01) and Margaret J. Shih, in Knowledge Nomads: Organizational Commitment and Worker Mobility in Positive Perspective from the February issue of American Behavioral Scientist.

The rise of knowledge nomads creates “profound implications for managers and for researchers,” says Pittinsky. For example, employers should spend less time trying to “retain” employees through incentives like salary bumps and more time “re-recruiting” them by offering interesting challenges and learning opportunities. Retention will follow when appropriate.