The real McCoy!

A RECENT survey in the US that compared and rated the level of job satisfaction against the salary earned, threw up some mixed results and indicated a trend that was moving away from typical job market expectations. The cross section of people interviewed held independent views and appeared to be unaffected by market fluctuations.

Vis-`-vis, the developing world, people are still dictated as much by societal pressure as by traditional workplace parameters. These parameters and expectations can sometimes lull one into a false sense of security. To arrive at an objective measure of job satisfaction:

Draw up a wish list of your ideal job and its perks

Ask yourself the following:

Why is your ideal job ideal? Concentrate on what you need rather than what you want.

What emotions and responses does it elicit?

The responses are indicative of your unconscious social, workplace and personal needs. Now collate all this information and spend some time doing another short analysis of your present occupation.

Create a similar questionnaire for your present job. Instead of a wish list, make a tabular list of the notable aspects of your present job (including your designation) on one side and on the other put down your salary. In another column include salary expectations (and perks) as per the market trends. In the final column, against each listed aspect of your job, write down (and rate it on a 1-3 scale) whether you are truly satisfied with what you are getting for what you are putting in. Sum them up taking into account all the ratings and responses.

This simple analysis will show you where you are in terms of job satisfaction and will help you plan your career to derive greater satisfaction. To help you head in the right direction, compare the responses with that of your ideal job list, it should give you some ideas about how to achieve that level of workplace happiness.

To lend greater objectivity to your survey, ask around and gather viewpoints from different people in the industry. Avoid restricting the info search to your work profile but cull subjective and statistical data about other alternative off shoots to your job profile.

After having pinpointed areas of change, identify ways, means and agents of change within and with out your work. Perhaps you need to articulate your needs to your superior, find ways to flesh out your job profile, change work patterns and so on.

There are however a few things that can probably cloud your judgement. Guard against the following, which may cause you to arrive at false conclusions about your levels of job satisfaction:

Personal pressures and dissatisfaction (on the home front)

Workplace interpersonal communication problems

Believing every rumour about the company's performance

Or being unaware of activities beyond your own department

Unrealistic personal expectations

Poor work habits

`Keeping up with the Jones' habit

Wrong attitudinal approach

Fear of job loss, demotion, stagnation, etc

It's easy to understand how satisfied you are with your job when you block these aspects from your analysis. Although your analysis may not manufacture a new job out of thin air, it will at least help you stay grounded and not run after illusory things that can dent your self-esteem in the latter part of your life.

SAMYUKTA KODA

samyukta.hyd@cnkonline.com