A new survey offers tough medicine for bosses. How can you thrive in a grass-is-always-greener world

The Internet has made it easier to find nearly anything, whether it's that perfect picture for your new apartment, the coolest new restaurant in town, a rare collectible or--apparently--a new job.

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, that means companies need to face some stark realities about the behavior of today's employees and job seekers--namely, that the two groups are one and the same.

The job search site polled more than 1,000 Americans to ask about their job-hunting habits. What the company learned is that the idea of contented employees toiling away without a thought to their next gig versus "active" jobseekers poised over the classifieds red pen in hand is as dead as in-store movie rentals and celluloid camera film.

Everyone, it seems, is basically always looking for a job. And that includes your employees. The survey found:

• 74% of people are either actively searching for a new job or are open to new opportunities.

• Nearly 35% of people begin preparing for their next job within weeks of starting a new one.

• 24% say job searching is a regular part of their weekly activities.

• 69% of workers say searching for new opportunities is part of their "regular routine," with 24% searching as frequently as once a week.

Obviously, these results have much to offer recruiters who traditionally have distinguished between 'active' and 'passive' candidates. "Kill the idea of the passive candidate--passive candidates don't exist," comments CareerBuilder's managing director of social and mobile strategy Eric Owski. But what lessons does the survey offer for small business owners?

In short, don't get complacent, not about retaining your doubtlessly restless talent, or about cultivating your image as an employer for the many already employed folks who are nevertheless on the lookout for their next opportunity.

"Candidates are likely researching companies in some form or another before they even apply. Employers need to make sure they have a presence on the various platforms candidates are using as information resources - such as their career sites, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn - in order to connect with candidates and control their message," says CareerBuilder's vice president of corporate marketing and branding, Jamie Womack, for example.

Are you overestimating the loyalty of your employees?

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