What Matters Most in a Job!

What people want in a real job these days is not about perks. It's all about possibility......

Today's job seekers want more tangible rewards, like challenging work, skilled managers, company stability, sound ethical leadership, opportunities for growth, recognition for a job well done -- and more cash. Smart job seekers know what defines a great job and a fulfilling career, what separates a real manager from a hack, and what differentiates a real business plan from a hop-scotch diagram.

Here are 8 things that matter most now:

Challenging Work
What people seek, above all now, is a challenge. Many employees are craving inspiration. They want to work on a project or service that makes them feel they can make a difference in people's lives or can transform a business. We're cycling back to more fundamental values that were temporarily distorted by opportunism and greed. A job has to be purposeful.

A Future
No one expects to stay for years and years at a company. But people do not want to keep getting laid off every three months either. It's bad for the budget, not to mention the morale. Burned by past empty promises, employees are obsessed with the idea of working at a place that makes an honest-to-goodness product or service. They want a clear visible path to profitability, with supportive investors and partners already in place, and a CEO who can articulate the strategy and doesn't shrink from tough questions. If they don't find that, they'll look elsewhere -- or change their minds quickly. Giving employees reasons to leave companies has grown dramatically over the years. We have taught people how to leave. Loyalty and dedication is truly on vacation in today’s workforce! Note to Mr. Employer: You better pay attention - because today's junior managers are tomorrow’s leaders. Young skilled workers see what happened to Mom & Dad's cradle to grave career days and say, "Not me!" Companies laying off employees to improve the bottom-line by reducing payroll to make the shareholders smile has gotten rotten!

Honesty
Although many people in the workforce are fairly young, they are no longer naive. They know when they're being fed a bunch of baloney, and to them, there is nothing more insulting. So if the company's experiencing trouble, they want to know about it, directly from the head of the company or the business unit. They can handle it. If they are not meeting expectations, they need to be told, so they can improve. And when offering a job to candidates, don't promise them the world -- simply tell them what you need from them, and be honest about the tough parts. If you think the job may change, tell them. Candidates are flexible these days -- as long as they don't feel that they got lied to on the way in.

A Chance to Become More Marketable
People know that their job won't last forever. They know that things might not work out and that they could get the boot one day. So what do they want? The chance to gain skills that will round out their abilities -- and that will make them more employable in their next job. That doesn't mean they'll be less loyal -- on the contrary, employees tend to stay longer at places that don't try to fence them in or try to hold them back from learning and growing.

A Manager With a Clue?
Managers don't have to have gray hair and wrinkles -- nor should they revert to the old command-and-control mentality -- but they do have to have experience, as well as respect for the act of managing human beings.
Note to Mr. Manager: GOOD PEOPLE WILL DO GOOD THINGS IF YOU ALLOW THEM TO DO GOOD WORK! Micro-management is a dead-giveaway for poor leadership! NEWS FLASH! Employees want regular, periodic reviews, something that does not happen much. Job seekers want to know about your culture and how good people with good performance are rewarded in your organization. Isn't it wise to retain good people who care about the company and its customers? Talent retention is going to become your worse nightmare if you don't WAKEUP! Read the book: Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay by Beverly Kaye.

Accountability
People who are still interested in a work place where what they contribute can be measured, both by the boss and in a way that can be demonstrated in their next job. Yes, it's key to work in a place that gives performance reviews and takes them seriously. Case Study: John is a good employee was promised reviews that never materialized or that were delayed months and months. When his review finally came, it was one-sided -- Here's what he thinks. If he had known what his boss was thinking, he would have started looking and changed jobs a lot sooner. Sound Familiar?

A Respect for Balance
Many job seekers and employees are thinking more than ever about work-life balance. It's not that working hard is a problem; it's that working hard simply to work hard is a huge problem. Today, they no longer believe that "living to work" is worth it when your life and happiness matters most. They will work extremely hard to support a new product launch or to finish a critical project, but they now hate the idea of working late hours. It's a huge warning signal to people it they don't have a life outside their job. Little league Dad's and soccer Mom's are fed up with companies that expect employees to give their blood, sweat, and tears just to keep their job and stay in good graces with the BOSS! Note to companies: Allow your good employees to find their work-life balance or your employee retention rate will decrease.

Cash
Cash is King! Performance incentives reign supreme. 4-6 weeks of vacation time is more popular than ever. (There’s that balance thing) Stock option plans have had their day, some of which are not worth the paper they are printed on - with the exception of Google. D'oh! The pay cut for equity or stakeholder ship is long gone. These days, some options are seen as a perk that will probably never pan out -- something nice to have but unlikely to form a retirement nest egg. During the past 4 years job seekers realize that their leverage may have shifted back to employers -- However we are entering a long term candidate/employee driven workplace. Recruiters already know this....Companies are having a very difficult time trying to locate and hire top talent....and it's only going to worse as the baby-boomers finally retire. Companies know the salaries offered last year may not be enough this year. Employers hoping to attract good candidates will need to offer more hard currency (CASH) instead of paper dreams to get the talent they want.

See my "Distributor of Hope" blog.

Good Hunting! Coach Mark