Truly loving your job is rare – if you do don’t take it for granted
Bottom Line: The way questions are asked are important for understanding the importance of answers. For example, for years many researchers have asked workplace related questions that make it seem like no one’s engaged in their work and almost everyone hates everything about their job. That’s unrealistic and not terribly useful. There are many more people who are perfectly at peace with their work but if they could do something else would choose to do so. That more realistic and useful approach is the one that Monster.com recently took when studying the workplace.
Over the past decade the average American’s perspective has shifted dramatically. During the recession and for the first couple of years after, it most Americans were happy if they simply had a job with some degree of security. Now, with the best jobs-economy in 49 years, it’s easy to envision more than what you find in your day to day.
Monster found that when our mind drifts at work, most commonly we’re thinking of what we’d prefer to be working on...
- 64% say they constantly fantasize about working in a different job at work
- 27% say they think about it near weekly
- 7% said only on a bad day
And only 2% say they love their job... This isn’t the end of the world. Again, even for the 64%, it doesn’t mean they hate their work, it just means they aspire for more than they’re doing which isn’t a bad thing. The most important point, especially in management, is not to take your employees, especially top performers, for granted and to help the advance towards their goals. And if you truly love your job – don’t take it for granted! Most dream to feel the way you do about your work.