WORKPLACE

Career Switches: A study by a New York executive-search firm found that 62% of top executives at the largest U.S. retail companies have switched employers at least once in their careers.

The study by Thorndike Deland Associates showed that while 50% of senior corporate executives throughout industry stay with the same company throughout their careers, only 38% of senior executives in retailing stay with one company.

Thorndike Deland studied the career paths of the top 79 corporate executives at the 44 largest department, specialty and general merchandise chains, according to Sheila Pianin, director of research.

About 34% of the executives had already attained corporate titles or were division heads with other companies before moving to their present jobs.

“It is likely that more than half chose to change jobs because the new company offered a different kind of challenge, such as bigger or broader responsibilities or an opportunity with a different kind of retail format,” Pianin said. “Others probably moved because another company had a more compatible management style.”