Job Satisfaction Attributes

Job satisfaction is simply one of the most thought over and discussed terms in the professional world. There have been numerous questions and theories on it. Nonetheless, it is something that can't be confined to a set of fixed words or a few sentences. Factors that you consider to be important for yourself may not be equally crucial for somebody else.

According to some management gurus, there are certain attributes that are considered important in professional life. Conventional job satisfaction measurements have included compensation, work conditions, job duties, and supervision.

However, in recent times, factors like work flexibility, learning new skills, future prospects, recognition, and a sense of purpose have also gained equal importance. So if you love your job, you must have experienced any or all of these:

• You enjoy doing your work. It provides you an internal feeling of happiness, and though the time spent in office can be boring sometimes, but overall, you love your work and enjoy being at office.

• Although, everyone wants a pay hike, you're fine with your remuneration and making sustained efforts to get it increased in the future. This means that your performance drives your pay scale.
• You feel more confident and happy about your professional life and the way your career is progressing.

Dissatisfaction emanates particularly from excessive stress, long traveling or working hours, huge workload, inadequate pay, poor relationships with colleagues, authoritative or oppressive management, unhealthy working conditions, and job insecurity.

Mostly, management scholars weigh the performance of employees by evaluating it in relation to job satisfaction. As such, there is no concrete evidence that establishes the fact that both are directly interrelated; however, we tend to observe that an employee interested and passionate about his work performs better.

This observation is unmistakeable because an employee who loves his job has hardly any reasons for not performing, other than factors beyond his control.

As per various employee surveys conducted by a leading agency, only 45% Americans are satisfied with their jobs and nearly 64% people under the age of 25 are not interested in their work!

Probably, these statistics may be of concern, but the matter of fact is that this data is holistic and dependent on several factors. Answer these questions to find out if you're really happy with your profession:

• Are the leaders in your workplace positive role models?
• Are your views and values given recognition? Are you provided the right to put forward your views?
• Do you have a cordial relationship with fellow employees?

• Do you get rewarded or recognized for your work and contribution to team success?
• Do you enjoy your responsibilities and think you've been assigned the right role as per your skills?
• Are you able to maintain a healthy balance between work and play?

• Does fulfilling your responsibilities provide you a sense of personal achievement?
• Are you happy with the overall job security?
• Do you think that your compensation matches your responsibilities?

• Do you feel happy working in the company?
• Do you enjoy participating in various events or activities conducted in your organization?
• Are you comfortable in carrying out your duties?

Sometimes, we stay on in a job because we can't quit it owing to financial constraints. In such cases, we don't have any option but to love what we do.

Understanding the factors that affect job satisfaction help employers to decide if their employees are happy, and accordingly, it helps them to improve the environment so that employees love coming to work.