This is going to be
one of those blogs where you might think that I have my head in the clouds.
Believe me, I have had enough tough times in life to understand the value of a
roof over my head and food on the table, but as long as the basics (plus a
little extra!) are covered, there is much more to life than a big fat bank
balance.
Too many people
measure their career success by their salaries, bonuses and share options. All
too often a key consideration for moving roles is an increase in salary, but
often “dream” moves are derailed by such trivial matters as inferior company
cars or less generous bonus schemes. I understand that some egos are easily
bruised about such matters, but will it really make a material difference to
their performance and enjoyment of the job? Surely that is what will get people
to jump out of bed in the morning, and not how much money is trickling into
their contributory pension.
As the owner of a
wonderful business, I understand that remunerating great performance is indeed
important, but as long as it is fair and competitive with the market, I don’t
see it as a key selling point when we are looking to attract new people. No, I
honestly don’t.
There are many
sales-led businesses (such as in recruitment) where fantastic basic salaries
and generous commission schemes are touted from the rooftops. People get sucked
in by the dreams of untold riches, only to realise that they will have to sit
at their desks like a battery hen to achieve it, pushing out cold call after
cold call. You might be given an extra 20% more than the market, but is this
really worth the sacrifice?
People turn up because of their salary, but
they will perform for a load of other
reasons:
Working with a team of
awesome people makes you want to push yourself that little bit harder – you
crash through mountains for each other. Making a difference for a cause that
you believe in helps you to overcome the most daunting obstacles – a powerful
goal ensures that you never give up. Feeling that you are developing as a
person and as a professional is a greater reward than any bonus – there is no
greater gift than when others invest in you. Having a boss who cares about you
is like having an additional parent – whether they are cheering you on from the
touchline or getting heavy with the discipline, they do it because they are on
your side.
You care about your
job for all these reasons and many more. None of these things have anything
remotely to do with how much money gets transferred to your bank account at the
end of the month. You don’t care about your job just because you are paid to
turn up.
There is no direct
correlation between remuneration and job satisfaction.
Money isn’t
everything.