What we earn for the work we do is pretty important right? Our earning capacity generally dictates our lifestyle – what we can and can’t afford in day to day life impacts our personal and financial goals. The money earnt for doing a job is majority of the time why most of us need to work. Yes there are some people who are financially secure and work simply because they enjoy the mental stimulation and people interaction however, the majority of people I assist in finding a job need to earn an income to be able to fund their lifestyle and survive.
Yet in many instances, the people registering and applying for new job opportunities aren’t seeking new opportunities simply because they want a pay rise. Money hasn’t been the number one priority for many people for a number of years. Many people I interview indicate they’d love to achieve a pay increase when changing jobs however it’s not their primary motivation and there are many other factors that are driving them to change jobs.
I’ve seen plenty of people take a step back in earning capacity to gain other benefits in the workplace and sometimes it’s about taking a step backwards pay wise to get a foot in the door or to improve your earning capacity in the long term.
So if it’s not always all about the money, what is it that we want?
From the stats we collect from job seekers at Inspire HQ, the top three things Ballarat and regional job seekers want are:
- Flexibility in when, how and from where they work. Technology is revolutionising the traditional world of work and providing us with the flexibility to change the when, how and from where we work to fit in around our personal lives. With school holidays commencing this week, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many people have changed their work schedules to work from home, reduced their hours to be at home with children or have changed their hours of work. Depending on the position you hold, flexibility in when, how and from where can be a hard one to achieve but it’s worth thinking outside the square on how this can be achieved within an organisation.
- Strong Leadership. We’ve all heard the saying people don’t leave companies they leave leaders. Job seekers want to see a strong vision, they want great communication, clear direction, to feel valued and appreciated and these are things that need to be driven from the top.
- Great culture. We spend a significant proportion of our time at work and when we are at work we want to work in a positive, engaged environment where we are all working towards the same goals and objectives. Great culture and team fit are crucial ingredients for job seekers today. Strong leadership and great culture go hand in hand and it’s difficult to have one without the other.
If you’re thinking about changing jobs because you’re not getting what you want in your current environment, invest the time in deciding what it is that is important to you. Pin point exactly what you aren’t getting in your current environment so you know exactly what to look for when you are on the hunt for a new job. If you know what you want it will make it much easier to find it and will ensure that when you do change jobs you are moving to the right company for the right reasons.
Do you agree? What do you want in a job? Is it all about the money for you?
2 Comments
My main driver is ‘making a difference’ – I want to feel that the work I’m doing is working towards improving things for people and making their life a little better. Great team culture is crucial – if that’s not there I don’t want to be part of that organisation.
Making a difference is very important for many job seekers I talk to Katherine, it provides a sense of satisfaction and achievement. Everyone talks about great team culture however from my experience this can be one of the hardest things to determine as a job seeker going through the recruitment process. I always encourage job seekers to ask plenty of questions at interview to help gauge the culture of a potential employer. The interview process needs to be a two way street!