Stress is a major problem for working women today, especially when she is taking care of family. You need to be 200% satisfied with the job to be happy. This article will surely help you in taking a right decision.
Causes of job dissatisfaction can range from problems with people, to Health and Safety issues, to discrepancies in salary that cause you to feel undervalued. It is necessary to identify what are those ‘bug factors’ that make you groan on a Monday morning at the prospect of returning to work.
Here are some of the issues that lead to job dissatisfaction.
Ability utilization:
We all have talents and capabilities we love to use. When you are in such a situation you tend to be more productive and live a happier work life. However, when you have all these talents on offer and no one is letting you use them it is time to increase your responsibilities, expand your options or change career.
Here are some actions you can take:
Talk to your manager: He/she might not know all the talents you have or know you are interested in using them. Outline what you are good at and your relevant experience. Try to pick up extra tasks to show you can be trusted taking on that type of work. Once you have proved yourself it is time to ask for a promotion or change in role.
Expand your options: Sometimes work is just that and there are no options to take on things you enjoy doing. Think about your local community. Are there are events, activities or causes that could use your talents?
Change career: If your employer cannot offer you any form of expanded responsibilities and your local community cannot bridge the gap it could be time to move on.
Recognition: A lack of recognition of your talents can be a pain; you work hard and no-one seems to notice your excellence. This can lead to self-doubt and start hurting your confidence. Many people will thrive when they get a little bit of encouragement but begin to fall apart when they don’t.
Here are some tips.
Value
Understanding your value is the first key to getting recognition. Make sure you understand how the company makes a profit and how you benefit the overall success of your company.
Take note
Writing down all your achievements is the next step. Capture what it is you have done, how much value it added and when you did it. When it comes to your end of year review you will have a big list of achievements that no-one can ignore.
Talk about it
Sometimes there are other opportunities to talk about your achievements than the annual review. Weekly one-to-ones or monthly meetings can be good opportunities. A good way to solicit feedback is to ask questions about your achievements.
Ask
If no-one gives feedback start by asking. Some companies are very poor with praise. If you decide to move to another job make sure you ask the hiring manager when s/he last gave praise to a team-member, and why. If his/her face goes blank you are probably not in the right place.
Not getting the recognition you deserve can lead to burn-out. If your employer shows no signs of thawing out it might be time to move on and look for alternative work.
Discrimination
Everyone is different and some co-workers just won’t be your cup of tea. Identify those around you at work whose company you enjoy and try to join them for lunches or after work drinks to build up a social relationship with them. If you feel your co-workers are discriminating against you take action through your workplace grievance procedure.
Here are some steps you can take to avoid being discriminated against:
Direct Approach
Sometimes people don’t realize how you feel. They might tell the same joke over and over without realizing you take offence. Sharing how you feel with the person in question could be enough to resolve the situation.
The Indirect Approach
Sharing your feelings with others can be a big relief. If you can’t muster the power to engage with the difficult person directly, try talking to someone you trust and who cares about your wellbeing. Explain what you are unhappy about and why you are unhappy about it. Let them know what you would like to see changed.
Formal Approach
Before raising a grievance it is wise to get management involved. Make sure you have your story documented and capture all instances of recent discrimination, why you found it to be discriminatory and what you would like to see changed. If management is the issue contact HR. If they are not responsive it is time to raise a grievance through your workplace channels first, and then through your union if necessary.
Grievance
When the situation is emotional and you feel that no-one is supporting you it is time to make sure you understand the grievance procedures. Once you understand them make sure to document all the instances factually and follow the grievance procedure from there.
Workload
High workloads can be hard on your physical and mental wellbeing. Ask yourself, is it just you who has this mountain of work that never seems to end or is this a general problem?
Working conditions
Poor working conditions can lead to all sorts of health and safety issues. Just think what sitting on a wooden old chair would do for your back. Desks that’s too low or too high, a monitor that is too small, a room that’s too dark or too light – these are some of the obvious issues that can cause health problems.
Career Progression
Five years in the same job, no additional responsibilities and tiny pay rises can be very frustrating. Some people are just too talented to sit still, they need to move up the ladder and work on better or bigger things. Career progression often goes hand in hand with training but also with poor financial management. Make sure you want to progress for the right reasons – if your reasons are purely financial you are likely to struggle with your promotion or find it as unfulfilling as where you are at now. Work is to keep ourselves financially afloat but it is much more than that.
Above tips will definitely help you in getting the things in perspective and choose the right path of the career.