It is essential to do your job with love in order to be successful. Most of us have to work to make a living. It’s easy for those that don’t have to work to make a living, to have a job they love. Since the issue of money will be totally secondary, there is no reason for them not to choose a job they love. On the other hand, working, for the majority, is a tool to sustain life, to support family, to provide for basic needs and to benefit from life's pleasures at a maximum. It becomes difficult to have a job you love under these circumstances. Choosing the best opportunity that comes one’s way sometimes may cause people to work at a job they dislike.
The outcomes of working at a job we dislike are worse than we can imagine. The situation can be overwhelming especially at a job like ours where time is limited, and it’s stressful and requires you to be on one-on-one contact with people. The possibility of making mistakes increases in a job that you dislike. Employees who dislike their jobs will try to skip work, frequently obtaining sick notes from the doctor’s, work inefficiently and postpone their duties.
In an article on the secrets of happiness in the workplace published on HRdergi.com, the 10 conditions of happiness in the workplace are listed as follows:
1. To love your job, to work willingly with heart and soul
2. Coworkers that are like-minded and that work in harmony
3. Fair management approach that values humans
4. Positive communication
5. A fun working environment
6. To be able to try out and learn new things at the workplace
7. Attaining work satisfaction
8. To be able to take initiative
9. To be rewarded for your efforts
10. To know your job well and be able to do it properly. [1]
The biggest chunk of responsibility in providing happiness at a workplace falls on the shoulders of managers. It’s in the hands of managers to provide the majority of the criteria listed above. Loyalty starts with recruitment in which thereafter big responsibility lies with the first managers and senior management. The attitude and behavior of first managers actually plays a role in reducing people’s loyalty and leading them to quit their jobs. You can work in a company that pays well and work in a pleasant environment. However, if your first manager decreases or shatters your motivation, loyalty will go out the window. In fact, employees actually leave their managers when they quit their jobs.
A satisfied employee will automatically work efficiently. When an employee does his/her job willingly, s/he will develop a positive relationship with her/his coworkers as well as the clients. No matter how difficult a client might be, problems will be handled smoothly. An employee that works under peaceful circumstances will reflect this mental state to others. The salary will not be the only criterion for quitting among those who love their jobs.
Having conducted a research on the Best Employers in Turkey, Aon Hewitt observed that 3 basic behavior patterns (Say, Stay, Strive) by employees indicate loyalty to the institution and summed them up as: [2]
Say: Engaged employees speak positively about their company to their coworkers, potential employees, customers and their community and recommend their company to others as a workplace.
Stay: Engagedemployees will have a strong desire to stay and be a part of the team.
Strive: Engaged employeeswill volunteer to put in extra effort for the company’s success.
In order to ensure employee loyalty, employees must have a satisfactory salary and benefits, as well as a work environment suitable for doing their job. Management culture and manager profile also have a huge impact on employee loyalty. A fair, inclusive, appreciative transparent management culture, pleasant work environment, social activities, practices to achieve work-private life balance increase employee loyalty.
Finally, let me share some statistical data on employee engagement. [3]
-It is estimated that the productivity loss caused by employees who are not actively engaged costs the U.S. economy $370 billion per year (Gallup).
-70% of engaged employees indicate they know how to meet customer needs. Only 17% of disengaged employees can say the same thing (Wright Management).
-86% of engaged employees say they are generally happy with their work. This rate is 11% in those who are disengaged (Gallup).
-78% of engaged employees recommend their companies' products and services. In those who are disengaged, this rate is only 13% (Gallup).
-90% of leaders say engagement affects business success, but 75% thereof don't have an engagement plan or strategy (Accor).
-72% of workers are not committed to their jobs. Described more accurately, the reality is that they are sleepwalking all day (Gallup).
-1 out of 4 workers intend to quit their jobs within a year (Telework Research Network).
-18% of employees who are not engaged secretly undermine their colleague’s success (Gallup).
10 important reasons to ensure employee engagement;
1. 17% higher efficiency
2. 20% higher sales
3. 21% increase in profitability
4. 24% less employee circulation (in companies with high circulation)
5. 59% less employee circulation (in companies with low circulation)
