Not Satisfied at Work? Here is What You Can Do
Monday morning blues! How often do we hear this? Well, we hear it from the people who are not satisfied with their current work and have little or no zest to go to work on a Monday. They say that the people who enjoy their work are the happiest people. Obviously, everyone wants to have a job which pays good rewards, where there is interesting and challenging work and where there is great bonding with colleagues and boss. But do we get it?
If you feel that you are not happy, then the first step to assessing this is to find a reason behind the dissatisfaction. Is it a difficult boss? Unfriendly colleagues? Tiresome work? Unhealthy negative environment?
Your workplace is the place where you spend the majority of your life, so one needs to be very cautious while selecting a workplace.
In general, studies have indicated mainly 2 major components when it comes to job satisfaction.
1. Extrinsic – These factors are mainly related to the environment at the workplace and the variability. Which includes salary, colleague behaviour, relationship with the boss, work hours etc.
2. Intrinsic – These are more psychological factors which lead to motivational issues that further hampers one’s work abilities. When one isn’t appreciated for his / her contributions and efforts it leads to a decline in his / her performance at work as well. When the ideas of employees are given due credit and respect then their satisfaction level increases twofold.
A good salary is not the only indicator when it comes to job satisfaction. A survey has indicated that most employees would prefer to be recognized and appreciated at the company level rather than having a hike in their pay.
Job Engagement
This is one of the major factors that is associated with job satisfaction. Most of the problems are solved when a company engages the right man at the right job according to his level of skill. Each individual has a different skill level, and if he is not doing a job according to his skill then he tends to get dissatisfied because of lack of interest or lack of skill.
For example, if you are a highly creative person and your job is mostly tactical or operation-driven, you might feel that your creative side is wasted, which leads to a sense of disengagement. Or if you are someone who loves facing challenges every day but your job is repetitive in nature and there are no new challenges, then again you will feel dissatisfied as you will feel that your talent is unused and you can do much more. In such cases, even if the pay is good, one still feels dissatisfaction.
Setting up goals –
To achieve job satisfaction one has to set targets and goals for the future in mind. Then one needs to assess if the current job is leading towards that future goal or not?
Deep down each individual has a sense of what he is and what would he wants to be. One also needs to recognize if the current job is psychologically satisfying enough or not. When you start feeling that your current job has made you stuck and your goals and targets seem difficult to achieve from the present position, you have an indication that you are not satisfied with your job.
Values –
Not many people relate human values present in individuals with job satisfaction. But this is one of the most important psychological factors when it comes to job satisfaction. Finding meaning and purpose in your job is more satisfying than anything else and people who find it are the people who are happier with their jobs. For example, a sports enthusiast or a coach who teaches children from his experiences and grooms them to become champion sportspersons will be more satisfied with his job because he is following his passion as well as passing on his values to his students.
Another job as a clerk in an office might pay him more but he will not be satisfied with his job. Similarly, if you are a nature lover then you will not be satisfied working at some factory which produces toxic wastes and disturbs the environment. Your values as an Environmentalist will be disturbed and you will never be satisfied even if your pay is good.
Quality of life and job satisfaction are directly related. You need to ask yourself is your job giving you enough time for your family? Or can you survive an environment full of negativity where coworkers are unfriendly and abusive? Or is your travelling time to the office affecting your time schedule and you do not get time to pursue your other hobbies? At the end of the day, it’s all about asking questions to yourself. You only live once and you must try and ensure that you choose the right job to enhance the overall quality of your life to your own satisfaction.