Cashing In on Job-Satisfaction Numbers

What recent employment trends mean for you--and your career

by Mike O'Brien, Climber.com

Securing real job satisfaction may seem out of reach when the national unemployment rate still hovers at around 10 percent. But recent statistics about job satisfaction are a boon for highly skilled professionals. Whether you're looking to move up in your organization or shift companies entirely, here's how you can make the numbers work for you.

1. Determine what makes you happy at work (beyond a paycheck).
According to the 2009 Employee Job Satisfaction survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), employees care most about these elements:

• job security
• benefits
• compensation/pay
• opportunities to use skills and abilities
• feeling safe in the work environment

These results, however, focus almost exclusively on immediate and tangible rewards instead of on long-range growth--so be careful to keep your perspective.

The job elements that matter least to employees are equally concerning. They include:

• an organization's commitment to being a green workplace
• networking opportunities
• career-development opportunities
• paid training and tuition-reimbursement programs
• professional development programs

Many of these programs are exactly what most professionals need to take them to the next level in their work--either inside their current organization or elsewhere.

Still not sure what will make you truly satisfied in your work? Assessment tools available at career-management sites can help you identify what is most important to you, and then introduce you to your "perfect" company match.

2. Stay engaged and alert for opportunities
According to a mid-2009 study published by the Corporate Executive Board, a company's most "critical workers" are the ones most likely to jump ship.

Focusing on IT employees, but representative of any high-stress career field, the study showed that only 4 percent of employees surveyed considered themselves "highly engaged" in 2009, down from 12 percent in 2007. Moreover, the study indicated that these critical employees are 2.5 times more likely than the average employee to leave an organization to pursue new opportunities. Is it time for you to make the jump?

3. Write your own ticket.
Whether you're currently employed or in transition, know that employers are watching job-satisfaction trends carefully. According to a 2010 study conducted for The Conference Board by market-information group TNS, U.S. job satisfaction has dropped from 61 percent in 1987 to 45 percent in 2009, and fully 22 percent of respondents polled indicated that they don't expect to be in their jobs in a year's time. This is a problem for companies who want to attract and retain top talent.

How do you capitalize on this trend? First, keep your profile updated on your career-management site or online networking page, and take advantage of any training or development courses that demonstrate how serious you are about your career. Then proactively pursue either a new position or new projects within your current company that will not only showcase your skills but also allow you to do the things you enjoy most. If you're working with passion and doing work that you love, job satisfaction can't help but follow.

Mike O'Brien is an innovative entrepreneur dedicated to helping others create breakthrough success, and is the founder and CEO of Climber.com, one of the nation's leading online career-management sites. For more information about how to find your perfect career, visit www.Climber.com, or connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

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