Not every workday is sunshine and unicorns. On the contrary, work isn’t meant to be like recess; they do call it WORK for a reason. However, that doesn’t mean you should not experience strong positive feelings at your job.
Are you challenged? Do you have the right tools you need to do a good job? Are your coworkers respectful, competent, hardworking? Do you find the work meaningful and enjoyable? Are you compensated fairly? Is there enough time to recharge when you’re feeling frazzled (it happens to everyone)? Do you feel valued and appreciated by ownership/managers? Are problems at work resolved conscientiously? Do you leave work with a satisfied sense of accomplishment most days?
If you can’t answer positively to these questions, it may be time to consider making a change.
We’ve been interviewing people recently to fill some open positions due to company growth, and it never fails to stun me how many people feel mistreated by their current employers. I know it’s scary looking for new positions (better the devil you know, blah blah blah) and there is something to be said for staying in your comfort zone. Right now, it seems as if employers are falling all over themselves to hire new people. If employers are changing their practices, you have to ask yourself “if this is the right thing to do, why didn’t they do it sooner”?
Personally, if I were looking to change jobs, I’d look at how stable the prospective company’s current staff is. That’s a pretty good indicator of how management treats their employees. If a company has massive turnover, that also speaks to how they are to work for.
It’s a job-seeker’s market right now, why not have a look around and see what’s going on at successful, stable companies? You might find your new forever work home.
Thank you for sharing!