I think the person who takes a job in order to live –that is to say, for the money– has turned himself into a slave. –Joseph Campbell
Have you found your dream job? If your answer is yes, I have to congratulate you! But for the rest of you who responded negatively, you’re not alone. Sadly, according to many job satisfaction surveys, 1 out of 3 people would like to change their job.
During the last decades, psychologists have been trying to define what “job satisfaction” is, while attempting to find a way to measure it. Edwin A. Locke’s “Range of Affect Theory” stated that satisfaction is a matter of expectations determined by the range of discrepancy between what one wants and what one gets.
According to Locke, job satisfaction depends as much on external factors (your job) as on personal aspects (what you want).
If I asked you about your level of satisfaction with your job, you’ll probably think about many aspects including your daily tasks, your coworkers, your boss, the company, your salary, the time you dedicate to work, the work environment… However, each person will provide different value to each of those.
Thinking about that, we have gathered some indicators that can make you think about your current job and decide whether or not you’re one of the lucky ones. Let’s go through them!
Meaningfulness
We all like to feel that what we are doing is important and meaningful. Knowing that your hard work is appreciated and recognized by your boss and teammates will grow your self-esteem and give you comfort.
Challenges
Job satisfaction is influenced by your ability to complete required tasks but also by how challenging those tasks are and how much learning you get from them –if you feel overqualified or your job is stuck in routine, you’re not likely to be motivated. On the other hand, if your job challenges you constantly and you’re able to fulfill your tasks, you’ll feel that you are growing professionally –which is very satisfying.
Stress
To have a bit of stress from time to time can be a good thing. But this depends completely on the type of person you are and the kind of stress you’re experiencing. If you have too much on your plate for long periods of time, you’re going to burn out and burning out will lead to a lot of dissatisfaction.
Fair salary
Salary fairness is a huge turning factor when it comes to being a happy worker. Being paid what you deserve will affect your overall mood while the opposite can lead to discouragement. Specially if you find out your coworker gets paid more for the same job.
Communication.
We are social beings who spend many hours at work each day. Good communication between you, your boss and your coworkers is essential to feel comfortable at your work place. Also, opinions do matter. It’s important to feel comfortable voicing your opinion and that it will be valued.
Opportunities.
Workers need to feel that what they’re doing is getting them as far as possible in the professional world. If workers don’t have opportunities of growth, they are more likely to feel unmotivated and to look for new challenges in a different place.
Family life
Even if you’ve gotten your dream job, that’s not everything in your life –you have friends and family and you want to spend time with them. A job that doesn’t let you find a balance between your work life and your family life will only lead to dissatisfaction and frustration on the long term.
How likely are you to look for another job?
This is the definitive question –if you are even considering the possibility of quitting your job, then you probably should.