Job Satisfaction

Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist and veteran of World War II, created a fantastically interesting theory of job satisfaction in 1959.  It deserves another look.

He found that people are dissatisfied by a bad environment, but are rarely satisfied by a good environment.

In other words, what makes you satisfied is not what makes you dissatisfied.  What makes you dissatisfied are what he termed "hygienic" factors: salary, working conditions, hours.  What makes you satisfied are what he called "motivator" factors: the challenge of the work, the importance of the work, your impact on the organization, and whether or not the work is helping you grow.

There are some paradoxes: you can be both satisfied and dissatisfied by your job.  Many nurses and teachers will understand this idea.  You can be not dissatisfied but not satisfied by your job; it is not challenging and you don't find it important.  Many back office workers will understand this idea.  They earn a good salary and like the people they work with, but there may be a sense of emptiness.

The advice to students: choose the challenge.  Start with extracurricular activities: join clubs and groups that scare you.  Follow your fear: don't think you can act in a school play? Try.  Might be fast enough for football, even though you aren't that big?  Try.

---