Frequent job hoppers earn 31% more in UK salary data
Young workers who switch jobs frequently earn a 31% salary premium in the UK, a trend dubbed "lily padding" that is forcing businesses to rethink staff retention.
Workers who change jobs four or more times over a decade earn an average of £39,276 in the UK, compared to £30,088 for those who stay put. This 31% wage premium highlights a shift in how early-career professionals are approaching the labour market.
The strategy, known as "lily padding", involves moving between roles to rapidly acquire a portfolio of skills rather than climbing a traditional corporate ladder. A 2024 global survey by Randstad of 11,250 workers found Gen Z employees average just 1.1 years in a role during their first five years of work. That compares to 1.8 years for millennials and almost three years for older cohorts.
The financial incentive for workers to move is clear, but it creates wage inflation pressures for businesses unable to offer rapid internal promotions. Companies now face the risk of losing trained staff just as they become fully productive, forcing human resources departments to redesign career progression.
For European companies, this mobility presents a direct challenge to traditional talent retention. Nicola Grant, chief people officer at UK insurance provider Hiscox, noted a clear break from the past. "Expectations have changed; people want variety, pace and to build skills that will remain relevant," she said. "It's about a desire for growth."
Lucy Kemp, an employee experience specialist at IT company La Fosse, argued that this is a structural change in the labour market. She pointed out that remote work and the rise of AI have reduced the organic, in-office peer learning that previously kept staff engaged. "Younger people have seen that loyalty doesn't pay off," Kemp said. "They want to shape their own careers, based on skills they value."
The mechanics of lily padding involve using successive roles as stepping stones. Brittany Harris-Nelson, a 32-year-old administrator at Wake Forest University in the US, worked 10 jobs across six universities over a decade to reach her current post. "Each role helped me build skills and perspectives that I didn't yet have, and together those experiences prepared me for the work I do today," she said.
Adam Smiley Poswolsky, a 42-year-old author and speaker, similarly bounced between government, non-profit and corporate sectors over 15 years. He emphasised that strategic jumps require carrying a specific skillset from one experience to the next. For employers, accommodating this demand for continuous learning may be the only way to prevent a costly drain of talent.
