Happy New Year – Happy New Job

Happy New Year – Happy New Job
MEDIA RELEASE
05th January 2011
The latest SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation survey found that 7 out of 10 New Zealanders are keeping an eye out for a new job in the New Year.

Research reveals that the driving forces behind whether we stay, or stray, from a job are driven by how satisfied and motivated we feel. Perhaps surprisingly, money is not the main reason for employee dissatisfaction, but rather contending with poor management and a lack of clear direction.

Helen Souness, Senior SEEK Executive says; “Salary is not the biggest motivator for people to be satisfied in their current job. Most people are looking for their managers to be supportive, approachable, demonstrate their appreciation and provide opportunities for growth within the organisation.”

The SEEK survey found that employee happiness is a direct product of a positive work environment, where there is a strong focus on building company culture, workplace morale, and a commitment to train and develop staff. Of those employees who are happy, 68% said they are willing to raise their productivity because they feel motivated by their employer.

The most common reason Kiwi’s give for leaving their last job is not a better salary, but a new challenge and next on the ‘reasons to leave’ list was feeling unappreciated at work. Middle income earners and young females in particular are looking to advance to the next step in their career, while those from the Baby Boomer generation seek validation for their efforts.

The SEEK survey shows that salary does play an important factor when deciding on a change, as many jobseekers choose to chase higher paying jobs rather than negotiate a pay rise with their current employer. 29% of people listed salary is the most important aspect in the choice of their future employer, with only 12% citing ‘hours of work’ in a distant second.

If a change of workplace is on your New Year’s resolution list, check out the following top tips for finding your new ‘happy place’:
• Make a wish list of job attributes and organisations that you like the look of. This will help you focus on the kind of role that will really make you happy
• Find someone who has your dream job, ask them how they got there and seek advice on finding similar opportunities, you never know who they might know
• Go seeking, and get found, you can now upload an anonymous SEEK Profile that helps the highest number of employers in New Zealand find you, so even when you take a day off job searching, employers can still seek you out for roles
• Interview the interviewer, if you’re not interviewed by your new boss, ask to meet him or her before accepting the role. This will provide the opportunity to discuss their management style, ask if regular feedback is part of their modus operandi, and if training and development opportunities are part of the role.
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If a change of career is also on your wish list, you might consider working in one of the ‘happiest’ industries. Interestingly, it seems the happiest people at work are also people who work closely with other people, SEEK found the health care and medical sector at the top of the happiness scale, with 74% of people reporting they are happy or very happy in their role. People who work in trades and service industries and education and training roles also reported high levels of happiness in their jobs.

When it comes down to it, Helen Souness explains that happiness at work is fundamentally a personal thing;

“There’s no one formula for a happy job, but if you are looking for a new role, or even a whole new career direction, make a wish list about the things that make you happy, and use that to help guide your jobseeking efforts. Keep at it and you’ll find it.”

-ENDS-

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