Are Jobs Getting To Be A Bore? Are Employees Getting To Be Less Engaged?
A lot of people are saying that jobs are getting worse. Many employees drag their feet going to work. This belief stems from the fact that in large corporations like supermarket chains or, a network of bank branches or fast food outlets, employees today or sometimes, even managers have less and less autonomy because almost every aspect of the work is prescribed and directed from the home office. These job holders are given very limited degree of discretion. As a result, these guys have become less engaged in doing their work and have altogether ceased to enjoy it. All that’s left for them is to strive to meet the targets and objectives that have been set for them. The manager’s job then redounds to no more than simply motivating or whip-lashing (depends on his perspective and style) his people to hit the numbers.
The way this argument goes, jobs have become mindless and alienating because of a working system. Although when you take a real hard look at systematized procedures, it’ll seem to make sense.
It’s funny. For years management experts have placed great importance on the need for jobs to be challenging and for the workers to have some degree of autonomy in the jobs they do. And yet, this home-office-directed set of here’s-what-to-do that almost makes robots out of employees seems to be emerging and growing fast in many companies. Soon, perhaps only a handful of workers will be allowed to think for themselves as all work will be governed by systems, procedures and targets.
And yet surveys say 85-90% of employees enjoy their jobs! Why the discrepancy in viewpoints?
Job engagement polls don’t lie. Recent ones have revealed that a large majority of the respondents enjoy their work and about 70% says they’d recommend their organization as a great place to work. Further, these people feel a strong sense of loyalty for their companies.
The Real Reason
Perhaps the reason some people think that jobs are getting worse is because they failed to take into consideration the many other factors that mould attitudes about work. For one thing, there’s the fun that employees get to experiencein their day to day relationship with their colleagues and peers. For another,there’s the awesome feeling of achieving difficult targets. There is also that sense of camaraderie and loyalty to one’s team .. that feeling of great satisfaction when efforts are recognized and appreciated by the higher-ups.
No matter how rigid the specific criteria and how constrained the job may be, there is, almost always an opportunity for people to make a difference.
In other words, it’s not just the job per se. It’s the context and the surroundings in which it is carried out. And that’s where the head honchos and the organisation itself, come in. They’re there to engage and motivate their people.
Make no mistake about it. Enjoying and being engaged with one’s work depends a whole lot on the culture and environment in the workplace.
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