Seven Things You Didn’t Know about Job Satisfaction

Why has job satisfaction proven to be so elusive for decades? Generation after generation, workers are still dissatisfied with their jobs, and employers are still trying to solve the problem. But the really disheartening news is that it’s accepted as a fact of organizational life and ignored, except by the millions of people who are currently dissatisfied or looking for a better job. The general perception is nothing can be done about job dissatisfaction.
In the meantime, we still seek job satisfaction, because it’s all we know. We’ve not been oriented to want or expect anything else. We want a decent paycheck and a good boss, we want great coworkers and peachy benefits, nice working conditions and… The list goes on, and no matter what programs HR implements or how many raises you get, you still want more.
It’s not that you’re a flawed employee. It’s that job satisfaction is the wrong goal. That’s because the things that create job satisfaction–bosses, salary, coworkers, benefits, etc.–are just things. And these things are outside of your control. Because they can change at any time, you, the employee, have no control over these conditions for satisfaction.

Because it’s human nature to eventually expect more or something new and different, the problem never goes away. Before I reveal a better alternative, here are seven untold truths about job satisfaction you need to know.

1. Job satisfaction is provided by your employer. Job satisfaction wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for something the employer owned and offered to attract and motivate you, and to keep your nose to their grindstone.
2. Being satisfied is up to you. It’s up to you to earn the satisfactions, and once you have them, to decide whether they’re satisfying or not. Without your consent, the employer can decide at any time to change, reduce, or eliminate what gives you satisfaction.
3. Job satisfaction is not yours to keep. Your satisfaction is co-dependent on your performance in exchange for what the employer decides to provide. So, you’re really co-dependent on each other, and even if you leave, your satisfaction will be co-dependent on your next employer.
4. The quest for job satisfaction leads to workplace stress. Wanting a satisfying job presents a catch-22, because skills you offer are sometimes dependent on training provided by the employer, and they may not offer this benefit, or budgets temporarily don’t permit it. There’s a limit to what you can do and what employers are willing to spend.
5. Job satisfactions can disappear overnight. Many job satisfactions are vulnerable to forces beyond anyone’s ability to control, including fluctuations in the economy, business trends, natural disasters, and manmade disasters such as war, terrorism, theft, cost-cutting initiatives, restructurings, and mismanagement.
6. Some job dissatisfactions will never be fixed. The stalemate between what you want and can provide, and what the employer is willing to offer and spend, means some dissatisfactions may never get fixed. This is generally perceived as unfortunate but acceptable under the circumstances. It’s business.
7. Seeking job satisfaction perpetuates “us versus them.” The fact that the search for job satisfaction is never-ending has led to an unspoken take-it-or-leave-it atmosphere that has given rise to the importance of greater self-sufficiency, and also the loss of both employer and employee loyalties. Like it or not, you’re on your own and can’t expect employers to make you satisfied.

It’s time to wake up and realize it’s not feasible to expect employers to make you satisfied. So what are your options? As an employee, you need to recognize and leverage the benefits of your own career contentment.
Contentment means different things to people, but when it comes to your career, it’s not about being laid back, giving in, or doing with less. That might get you fired. It’s about developing a calm and collected state of mind that enhances your effectiveness to perform, and your resiliency to endure when things don’t go your way. It’s your inborn ability to be content even in situations where you’re not entirely happy or satisfied. You’ll do this if your work is meaningful and worth fighting for. If it’s not, you’re in the wrong job and satisfactions won’t matter.
Do what you love, as your parents taught, but also look for ways to love what you do. Contentment is personal and deeper than employer efforts to keep you satisfied. Also, fulfilling your purpose is more important to you than fulfilling the employer’s purpose, and they can’t pay you enough to waste your talents.
Article by Jeff Garton, founder of Career Contentment, Inc. (www.careercontentment.com), an executive search and career-coaching firm, and host of “Career Contentment Radio,” broadcast on VoiceAmerica.com Business Radio Network. His new book is Career Contentment: Don’t Settle for Anything Less (ASTD Press, 2008).

Originally posted by sarah ennenga