job satisfaction

Are You Unsatisfied with Your Job?

By Job Journey on Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Maybe your job isn’t perfect, but it’s not terrible either. People ask you if you like what you do for a living and if you like your job, and you respond with a “Yeah, I enjoy it!” but your heart might not be in it. It’s an okay job, but not something you love. Is it ok to feel this way?

These are totally normal feelings to have. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, although 49% of those surveyed report being very satisfied with their jobs, 30% see the work they do as “just a job to get them by.”

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to start to like your job, or at the very least, feel more satisfied with it. Here are our top tips on changing your perspective. (more…)

At Work

Fostering Teamwork in the Workplace

By Job Journey on Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Working on a team is not a rare event in the working world. Even if your work is very individualized, rarely is the case that you won’t work on a team in some form or fashion. Knowing how to foster effective teamwork in the workplace has many benefits, and is an effort to which you can easily contribute.

Trust and Communication
Teamwork is always more effective when the members maintain good relationships with one another, which begins with trust and clear communication.

When it comes to communication, team meetings provide everyone an opportunity to collaborate and share ideas. Because of this, teammates feel informed and involved on the details of an assignment. In the same respect, it will help your teammates have a sense of belonging. Nurturing these relationships through trust and communication is a great way to foster teamwork.

Job Satisfaction
When you have a team that works well together, job satisfaction usually increases. Conversely, when you don’t have good teamwork in the workplace, it could have the opposite effect. A team that supports each other is able to focus on the bigger picture of reaching a goal or accomplishing a project on time, leaving everyone involved more satisfied with their work.

Developing Strengths
While you help foster teamwork in the workplace, you’ll likely see a correlation between a strong team and individual strengths. On a well-managed team, each person is able to bring something different to the table, complementing one another in the process. As you work as part of a team, look for ways to encourage other members and learn from their strengths to grow professionally.

How do you encourage teamwork in the workplace? Why do you think it’s important? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Reader Surveys

Poll: How Would You Describe Your Ideal Workplace?

By Job Journey on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

At some point, you’ve likely been asked about your dream job, but what about your dream workplace? According to Forbes, when your personality lines up with company culture, you’re more likely to be engaged and successful. Finding the right work environment can play a key role in determining your overall job satisfaction and productivity.

Because definitions of the perfect workplace vary from person to person, unique to personality and work style, we want to know what yours would look like.

Do you think finding the right workplace is important for job satisfaction? Let us know in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Reader Surveys

The Results Are In: What Factors Contribute to Your Job Satisfaction?

By Job Journey on Monday, March 7, 2016

Many job seekers focused on their goal of finding a job at the beginning of the new year, and now that 2016 is well underway, it’s important to understand the key factors that contribute to job satisfaction in order to know that the job you’re trying to get is right for you. To help determine the factors that go into job satisfaction, we recently polled Movin’ On Up readers and the results are in!

Keys to Job Satisfaction
According to our poll, there are two main factors that go into overall job satisfaction. Tied with 27% of votes each, “feeling valued” and “engaging or meaningful work” are the most important factors to Movin’ On Up readers. Another 14% of respondents chose “compensation,” followed by 10% who chose “job security.” Additionally, 6% of respondents chose “leadership,” 5% chose “company benefits” and 4% chose “room for advancement.”

Readers were also able to select the “other” option and provide their own responses. Of the 6% who selected that option, responses included:

Variety of work
People
Environment
Work-life balance
Enjoyable work
All of the above

Results Compared to 2015
Last year, we asked the same question and received very similar results. In 2015, 32% of respondents selected “engaging or meaningful work.” Additionally, 29% of readers chose “feeling valued” as the key factor for job satisfaction.

What Leaders Think
Interestingly, it seems there may be a disconnect between a company’s decision makers and those trying to secure a job. On Refresh Leadership, the Express blog for business leaders, we asked the same question and the results were very different. In fact, the number one factor business leaders cited was “poor leadership” with 47% of the vote. That’s a sharp contrast to the job seekers’ opinion that leadership matters most (6%), and it suggests a divide between what employers think is needed and what employees want. The number one factor for job satisfaction among job seekers was recognition and feeling valued (27%), but only 16% of employers believe that as a factor in employee engagement.

What other factors contribute to your job satisfaction? Let us know in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Reader Surveys

Poll: What Is the Key Factor That Contributes to Your Job Satisfaction?

By Job Journey on Wednesday, January 27, 2016

The beginning of a new year is a great time to renew your focus on important goals, whether they are personal or professional. From losing weight to saving money, many people will create resolutions and develop plans to stick with them this year. Now that 2016 has begun, your job search efforts may be a renewed priority and you may find yourself applying to more jobs and landing more interviews.

If you plan to focus on your job search this year, it’s important to recognize and understand the factors that contribute to your job satisfaction so you know the job you’re trying to get is the right one for you. We want to know what those key factors are in your life.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

The Daily Grind

Happiness and a Good Job – You Can Have Both

By Job Journey on Wednesday, June 10, 2015

What are the keys to happiness in the workplace? While that answer may be different for each person, there are some factors that lead to a more satisfied workplace. According to a Gallup poll, 24% of the global workforce is actively disengaged with their jobs. Additionally, 63% of the worldwide workforce is “checked out, sleepwalking through their day, or putting time but not energy or passion into their work.” This leaves only 13% of people who are happy at work.

People who are happy and satisfied with their personal lives are also more likely to be happy with their jobs. So, how can you make your job something you enjoy? Check out the information below to help you find happiness in the workplace.

Know the Facts
To understand the current state of happiness in the workplace, take a look at these statistics:

Forbes states that the people most satisfied with their jobs include database administrators, quality assurance engineers, executive assistants, and recruiters.
According to Happify, things that affect our satisfaction at work vary for men and women. For men, it’s compensation and interest in the work. For women, it’s flexibility, workload, advancement, and the people at work.
When it comes to Millennials, those born between 1980 and the mid-2000s, 64% say they would choose a job they love that pays $40,000 over a boring job that pays $100,000 a year.
69% of bosses are satisfied with their jobs, while only 48% of workers are. Furthermore, 39% of self-employed workers are satisfied with their jobs, compared with 28% of people who work for others.

Find Your Happiness
Thankfully, there are ways you can find happiness in the workplace. According to author Alexander Kjerulf, the keys to staying happy at work are accomplishing something that’s meaningful to you, knowing your job is important, and being appreciated. You can help others find satisfaction with their work by celebrating their successes, lending a helping hand, and offering recognition for jobs well done.

Think about what you do and try to find the meaning in it. If you work in a retail environment, you may find satisfaction through helping provide people with items they need. Or if you’re an administrative assistant, you may find meaning in the fact that you’re directly influencing the success of others. When you engage in work that feels meaningful to you, you’ll likely experience higher rates of motivation and satisfaction as a result.

The job you currently have may not be the one you want to have forever, and that’s okay. Remember to use the time you have at your job to make important accomplishments and connections with others that can benefit you in your next job.

At work, every day is not going to be easy. When you’re stuck with a challenging situation in the workplace, believe in yourself instead of getting stressed. Think back to a similar task you accomplished and remember that you are capable of accomplishing this one too. Your positivity can impact your work. In fact, according to Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage¸ entry-level accountants who believed they could accomplish what they set out to do ended up with the best job performance ratings.

Making friends at work can also help you stay happy on the job. Studies suggest that if you have three or more good friends at work, you are 96% more likely to be satisfied with your life. To nurture friendly relationships, take some time to greet a co-worker you don’t know very well and practice random acts of kindness in the workplace.

How do you stay happy on the job? Share your tips in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Reader Surveys

Poll: What Is the Key Factor That Contributes to Your Job Satisfaction?

By Job Journey on Monday, December 29, 2014

The new year is just around the corner and with it often comes a renewed focus on goals. From losing weight to saving money, many people will create New Year’s resolutions and develop plans to stick with them. As you look toward 2015, you might plan to increase your job search efforts by applying to more jobs, landing more interviews, or even finding that perfect job in the new year.

As your job search efforts increase, it’s important to recognize and understand the key factors that contribute to job satisfaction so you know that the job you’re trying to get is the right one for you.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

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