Job Satisfaction

These are the most common reasons for not being completely satisfied with your job: conflict with your co-workers, conflict with your superiors, not being appropriately paid for what you do, not having the necessary equipment or resources to succeed, lack of promotion opportunities, having little or no say in decisions that affect you, and a fear of losing your job through downsizing or outsourcing.

Sometimes it is the work itself that causes dissatisfaction. For example, the work may be boring, or ill-suited to your interests, education or skills. People tend to approach work from three different perspectives. They view work as a job, a career or a calling.

If you approach work as a job, you focus primarily on the financial rewards. The nature of work may hold little interest for you. If a job with more pay comes your way, you will likely move on.

If you approach work as a career, you are interested in advancement. You want to climb the career ladder as far as possible. You are motivated by the status, prestige and power that come with the job.

If you approach work as a calling, you focus on the work itself. You work less for the financial gain or career advancement than for the fulfillment that work brings.

There are many ways to improve your job satisfaction. Set yourself new challenges; see what you can do to improve your job skills or take on a project that can motivate you and give you the sense of control. Helping a new co-worker or an intern to advance their skills can indeed be gratifying.

Boredom is another enemy to motivation. How to beat it? Break up the monotony by using work breaks to read, listen to music or do something fun. If your work consists of repetitive tasks, talk with your boss about training for a different task. Be ready to ask for a new challenge; if you always do what you have always done, you will only get what you have already got. And finally, stay positive. Everyone encounters good and bad days at work, so try to put things in perspective. As they say, ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’, or there is always something good, even in a bad situation.

In some companies, there are perks such as reflexology, yoga, massage, etc., but what really makes for a happy workplace runs far deeper than that. What really matters is a range of management practices that help staff feel valued, productive and listened to. The first is support at work to solve workplace problems in a team when they occur. The second element is support at home, e.g. help with personal problems and illnesses. The third element is a healthy balance between work and family. Career development and opportunities for growth come next. And finally, trust is what binds all these elements together.