You might not be actively looking to change careers right now, but you like to keep an eye on what’s out there — especially opportunities at certain employers. But you’ve noticed the position that would be a great fit for you always seems to be open.
Why? Do people hate working for that employer? Does it pay poorly? Or is that company just growing all the time?
The truth is it could be any of those things. Here at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), we’re in growth mode, so we’re always hiring for a few key positions. But after nearly 70 years in business, we’ve also seen some turnover and understand what to look for when exploring an opportunity that always seems to be available.
In this article, you’ll learn the two key reasons you always see certain positions posted and what signs you should look for to ensure you’re not falling into a trap.
Why is This Career Opportunity Always Available?
As you check your favorite job board or your dream employer’s website and see certain positions open, know it happens for two key reasons:
- There is a high amount of turnover for that position
- The company is growing and they need additional headcount for that position
Let’s dig into the differences you can spot to know whether or not you should apply.
1. The Position Deals With High Turnover
Have you ever talked to a recruiter on the phone about a position and it sounds amazing? Where they sold it so well, in fact, that you decided to take the leap of faith and accept the job offer?
Then, after several months on the job, you realize this isn’t what they explained at all; the position isn’t really a good fit for you like you were told it would be. You decide it’s time to look for another position elsewhere — or maybe see if you can get your old job back.
That’s a common form of turnover. Whether it’s because the job isn’t what you were promised or you’ve come to realize what you were promised isn’t actually what you want, some careers just aren’t a good fit for everyone.
We see that a lot with our national sales representative position at ATS Logistics. While there’s ultimately a lot of upside in that career — especially after year one — that first year can be challenging.
The incentive isn’t as high as more tenured salespeople and you’re dealing with a lot of "nos" from shippers who aren’t looking to make a change with their transportation provider. Those challenges lead to a higher-than-average turnover during year one. However, after that first year, the turnover rate drops significantly.
Related: An Honest Review of the National Sales Representative Role at ATS Logistics
Another thing to consider is the word “turnover” tends to have a negative connotation, but there are cases where turnover is a good thing. For example, when someone moves into a different position within the same company — like taking a promotion — their old role needs to be filled, creating turnover. We call that “internal turnover.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks that’s a bad thing. That brings us to growth — the other common reason a position is always posted.
2. The Company Continues to Grow
As companies grow, they need a larger workforce to keep up with increased demand from customers and prospects. In many cases, the common positions needed during growth are sales and operations roles.
Since these employees interact most with customers and prospects, they are on the “frontlines” for continued growth. As a result, you’ll likely see those careers posted more than any other within a growing organization. Other “support” roles will also be posted during growth, just not at the same rate as sales and operations.
In fact, on our ATS Logistics team alone, we’ve gone from 36 salespeople and managers in 2015 to 235 in 2022!
That can come in the form of creating brand-new positions that need to be filled. It can also be from people receiving promotions to oversee teams of those new employees, leaving an existing position to be backfilled.
But how can you tell the difference between growth and turnover?
How Do I Know if the Company is Growing or Dealing With Turnover?
You’re probably thinking, "Sure, I understand growth and turnover can mean two totally different things for my outlook on a position, but what can I do about it?"
The key is doing research and asking the right questions. When talking to a recruiter or hiring manager, ask:
- Why are you growing?
- How much has your company grown?
- What areas of the company are growing?
- What kind of continued growth do you foresee?
You’ll notice none of these questions are phrased in a way that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." They’ll require the person you’re asking to give you a more in-depth answer — and may even require them to think a bit.
Their answer should allow you to gauge how truthful they’re being with you. If it feels like they’re lying, they probably are.
That ties in well with the next line of questions to ask that allow you to dig into their transparency even further. Ask them:
- What are the challenges in this role?
- If turnover happens in this position, how tenured are the employees when they leave?
Will they answer those questions? If not, the career opportunity probably isn’t ideal for you. Every position has pros and cons. If they’re not willing to share some with you, there’s a good chance the cons outweigh the pros — which is a big factor in turnover.
Beyond questions, you can do some research on the company. Depending on the type of organization you’re interested in (public or privately held), revenue numbers can be fairly easy to find. Is their revenue going up year after year? If it’s holding steady or seeing minimal growth, they’re probably not growing.
And, while remote work is becoming more popular, is the company you’re interested in adding more locations (office locations or new retail stores, for example, depending on what industry you’re looking at)? That’s also a tell-tale sign of growth.
These are just some of the things you can do to get a better idea as to why a position is always available.
Why is This Career Always Available?
If you’re seeing a certain career opportunity every single time you visit a job board or a company’s website, it generally means one of two things. Either the company is seeing a high amount of turnover in that position or they’re growing.
Turnover happens for several reasons, including people realizing the position wasn’t a good fit or people moving to different positions within the company — including promotions — also known as internal turnover.
If the company is growing, you’ll either see brand-new positions being posted or positions that need to be backfilled due to internal promotions.
How can you tell the difference?
It’s important to do your research on the company and ask the right questions to your recruiter or hiring manager. Ask why the company is growing and by how much. Ask about the pros and cons of the position you’re interested in.
Be sure to ask open-ended questions (not ones that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no") so you can get a well-thought-out response. That way, you can judge how you feel about their response and whether or not you think they were being truthful.
It’s good to be wary of a position that always seems to be open, but don’t write it off without doing your due diligence. It could be the perfect fit for you — and the first step in growing your career with a growing company.
Grow Your Career With ATS
If you take a swing through the Corporate Openings page on our website, you’ll find both positions that are regularly available and some that aren’t. No matter your area of interest, you’ll find many opportunities for growth here at ATS.
Since 1955, we’ve been a staple in the transportation industry — an industry that’s essential to every single person in the world. Everything we use every day has been put on a truck, train, plane or ocean vessel — or all of them — at some point.
You can make a difference and grow your career in the process. Learn more or apply now.
