Job Satisfaction?

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I heard a hot news item this morning as well as read about it on a number of news sites where researchers from the Conference Board found "only 45% of workers were happy with their jobs, dropping from 49% in 2008."  An interesting point is the Conference Board research group concluded that the recession was only partly to blame for the drop.  Ok, paint me pink and call me Dumbo, but I am thinking someone received a grant to compile this survey and will probably do another which will find some obvious results.  As a person who recieved the 'Blue Boot' from IBM in February of 2009, I can give some first hand insight into the uninviting job market.  Yes, yes, I know, from all the experts and motivators and career coaches (me now being one of them), I have heard about networking, meetings, being motivated, positive and maintaining or increasing skills.  Yes, they are all important.  However, when you are scrambling to pay the current bills, you pretty much will do whatever it takes to get some revenue flow.  Ok, what does that have to do with job satisfaction?  It has everything to do with job satisfaction.  Think about it...when a person takes a job to gain revenue to pay their bills they have pretty much taken a landslide to the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy and are focused on survival.  They may not like the job because it is just that...a job.  Not a career.  Not a exceptionally enligthening experience.  Not a step to self actualization.  It's a means to and end.  So, surprise, surprise, surprise.  Job satisfaciton has plummeted.  Duuuhhhhh!!!  I don't agree with the experts in their view of productivily falling because of this.  People are afraid and will work to stay employed.  I believe productivity will start to fall when the economy really starts to turn around. 

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At that time, workers will have more choices which they see as being career oriented and with growth potential.  They will leave their currect jobs and move out and on to better opportunities.  You don't need to pay high priced researchers to discover these things, its pretty much common sense and maybe being "street wise".  I think what you will find is it becomes a Leadership issue and a problem with people Management.  If you have these workers who are dissatisfied, as a leader you need to find out what motivates them and what skills they bring.  Capitalize on those and you  won't lose the talent or edge you may have in the market.  Your employees are not just numbers, or as in IBM mumbo jumbo 'resources'.  They are people.  Treat them accordingly and your return on your investment in them will be tenfold.  Because, you see, all these studies, findings, and research is about...people.

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