With today’s social media, especially through websites like LinkedIn, you can get a glimpse of the diverse backgrounds and careers of many contacts you made during your working life. With their backgrounds and timelines featured on these sites, you notice that some have worked in one location their entire lives, while others have changed companies every 2-3 years. One has to wonder when checking their background, why did they leave their previous position? What happened to the job that seemed like a good opportunity, that kept you going?
First, let’s look at three factors that determine satisfaction with your job situation, the company, your boss, and your personal goals.
With the company, the first thing that comes to mind is its name and reputation. Are you respected in the industry you are in? Google and Apple are the big names in technology. Merck and Pfizer are the big names in pharmaceuticals. Mercedes and Volvo are respected names in Auto. Allstate and GEICO are the most frequent names in insurance. So what makes a good company beyond its name? Factors to consider: clear mission statement, strong corporate governance and ethics, strong industry performance, good support system, and strong work culture with respected peers. Pride in the company is important for you to be an effective employee, as it is the face of the company. Good companies are transparent about what they are doing and how they are performing. Another characteristic is that they care enough about their employees by offering good benefits like health and a corresponding 401K plan. If you work for a public company, how does the market see you? Performance and public perception are reflected in your share price.
The second is your manager. One of the main reasons people leave their jobs is because of the person they work for. For starters, in defense of managers, the people who hold these positions never receive formal training to manage people. It is a position that requires empathy and emotional intelligence, which I last checked is not tested when one is being considered for a promotion. Promotions are generally awarded because you are the most qualified of all applicants who have demonstrated a strong ability to do your current job and are projected to do the next level job successfully. In many cases, if top management views you favorably, you would be a favorite to get the position, regardless of whether you can be a good manager or not.
There are managers who are natural to motivate and make the most of their direct reports, while there are others who are not. Typically, the “lower” manager will be more concerned with how he is perceived by senior management and will work to generate positive perception rather than maximize group performance. This type of manager will also be the “throw people under the bus” type to deflect any wrongdoing on your part.
The other major problem that lower managers are guilty of is not holding bad performers accountable. In a group setting, it is not unreasonable to expect everyone to carry their weight and be compensated accordingly. It is not unusual to have a disparity in artists who are not up to scratch. The biggest sin that can happen is when the manager doesn’t take steps to correct it. If not, then injustice comes into play and sometimes there is an imbalance in the workload because the manager transfers essential work to the artists and lets the non-performer slip away. This is doubly worse when the non-performer is not acted upon and receives the same compensation as the performer. This is an ingredient for dissatisfaction.
The third and final factor is your personal situation. Many factors come into play in determining what keeps an employee happy. Employees must feel that they receive equitable compensation for their work based on performance and experience. A motivated employee must feel that he is contributing to the objectives of the group and the company. Opportunities for upward movement must exist and the individual must not be allowed to feel stuck in their position.
Other factors that may come into play are the workplace, the desire for more education, or changing life goals.
The fact that the workplace is closer to family is a great motivator to move or keep you in your current position. It is not unusual for one to miss out on obtaining higher compensation if it means that they would have to move away from their family. Perhaps your priority is more to emphasize family than to advance your career.
It is not uncommon for someone to leave their job to continue studying. They may see a need for further education (either for a bachelor’s or a Ph.D.) as they see a need to better position themselves for the future. In one case, after working as a development chemist in a laboratory for 3 years, the person left the company to obtain a medical degree.
Some may decide that working for someone is not in their cards and decide to take a bold step and start their own business. They are motivated to build a business for themselves. This could be instilled in them if they come from a family that runs their own business. It could be the frustration of having to work for bad bosses and deciding that being alone is better.
Lastly, some are always looking for better opportunities. It is the hunters of the proverbial “pot at the end of the rainbow”. They are the ones who are never completely satisfied no matter what the job brings. At some point, they would have to face what they want from their work life.
So the company you are employed at, the boss you work for, and your personal situation are the 3 factors that work symbiotically to determine your job satisfaction.
