While some hiring managers may be skeptical of applicants with experience at several companies over a short time period, so-called “job hoppers” could bring a valuable skill to teams, according to a recent study.
Analyzing data from 8,700 hedge fund managers employed by 2,100 U.S. firms from 1992 to 2019, researchers from Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cornell University and New Brunswick, N.J.-based Rutgers University found that those with a history of changing jobs get up to speed in an average of just two months — up from the average of five months for most new hires, according to an Aug. 4 article on Rutgers’ website.
The authors selected the hedge fund industry to study because their job titles and responsibilities are often similar across firms, but Scott Bentley, PhD, assistant professor of human resource management at Rutgers, said the findings apply to employees in all industries.
“Whether it’s a teller moving to a new bank, or a nurse changing hospitals, there’s always a period of adjustment,” Dr. Bentley said. “Those who move around frequently can be more effective and more productive right out of the gate. This is equally, if not more, true in blue-collar professions where roles are often standardized.”
The study also showed that 72% of fund managers experienced a performance decline after starting with a new firm. By six months, the performance gap between the average new hires and the average “job hoppers” closed, and both cohorts had similar performance.
The research suggests those with a background in changing jobs may bring an advantage to organizations that demand immediate results. They also excelled in often challenging situations for new hires, such as moving to a new region, joining a firm with many tenured employees and stepping into a role requiring significant collaboration.
The findings could carry particular weight for healthcare employers navigating persistent nursing shortages. The national RN turnover rate stood at 17.6% in 2025, and the average hospital loses $5.19 million a year to nurse departures, with each percentage-point increase in turnover adding about $295,000 in cost, according to a 2026 national nurse staffing report.
Early career nurses are especially likely to leave, with turnover reaching 22% among Gen Z RNs and 21% among millennials, as engagement tends to dip after the first six months on the job, according to a May report from Press Ganey.
Experienced RN vacancies already take 56 to 102 days on average to fill — a lag the study suggests these candidates’ faster ramp-up time could help offset.
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