How many times throughout your career have you found yourself in a position where you really liked your job, your boss and your coworkers, but you felt underpaid and undervalued? And have you chased a pay raise to a new job, only to find a less-satisfactory job and/or working environment? It often seems you have to sacrifice something in the name of “happiness.” So, is it really possible to find true happiness at work?
Money is actually a poor motivator
According to widely-cited research dating back to the 1960’s, money is not a strong motivator, and can actually act as a de-motivating factor on the job. For example, if you received a $1,000 raise, your work performance would probably stay the same. If, however, you received a $1,000 pay cut, odds are you would become disgruntled, act out, and ultimately look for a new position. So in cases where you like your job but feel undervalued, you probably won’t put forth much effort to do well. However, a raise in pay might not motivate you to suddenly produce more. In fact, you may become increasingly bitter that you were not given a raise sooner, and again, money would de-motivate you to succeed.
People who feel undervalued often have one foot out the door as they pursue new opportunities. It’s easy to jump on an offer that includes a significant pay raise, even if that job puts you in a position with a longer commute, longer hours, a boss you may not get along with, or other stressors. Once it becomes clear that the money wasn’t worth it, what happens? Once again, you find yourself with one foot out the door.
Is there a happy medium?
If you happen to truly like where you live, who you work for, who you work with, and what you do each day, but you feel undervalued, it might be time to seriously consider your future. If you like your paycheck but dislike where you live, who you work for, who you work with, and what you do each day, it is also worthwhile to sit down and evaluate your choices.
There is a happy medium out there, somewhere, where you find yourself satisfied with your job and your paycheck. How can you get there? By trusting your job search to a professional recruiter who doesn’t simply dangle a paycheck over your head, but who is committed to helping you find a job where you fit in, where you love what you do, and where you bring home enough money and/or have perks that make you feel valued.
South Florida professionals in the IT, marketing, accounting, compliance, or office administration fields should never be truly dissatisfied with their career, but if that happens to be the case, the professional recruiters at Cutting Edge Recruiting can connect them with some of the most dynamic companies in the area. Our recruiters work closely with candidates to match them with new roles that will allow them to achieve true happiness at work.
