[IPAC-List] Getting people into jobs they're gonna love

[Mark Hammer]

Kelly's points about "benevolent sexism", and the patronizing aspect
that a concern for employee happiness could take is a very pertinent and
astute observation.  Thanks for reminding me that sometimes we can
assume too much.....and to others' detriment.
 
Then V3.0 of my thesis would be that there is an evolving continuum of
elements that make people happy in their work/job.  Being in the "right"
or "wrong" job is part of that, and we would hope that recruitment and
assessment/selection are harnessed to that goal.  But it doesn't end
there.
 
Conversely, all of what is done to "engage" and "satisfy" people with
their work, including whatever happens along the employee/supervisor
axis, is not the *beginning* of assuring that people will be happy in
their work.
 
The goal here, then, is the **integration** of all elements of the job,
from the very first potential contact an applicant might have with it,
via ads and/or RJPs, right through to management and staff development
practices.  "Happiness" of employees should remain front and, if not
centre, at least not far off from it, throughout the life-cycle of an
employee's contact with an organization. Getting people into jobs should
have just as much to do with their happiness as what occurs *after*
they're in those jobs, as well as after they've been in the organization
for a while, and when they reach a crossroads in their career.
 
Mark


>>> Lance Seberhagen <sebe at erols.com> 2011/06/07 11:26 AM >>>

Now we're getting to the heart of the matter.  Excellent employee 
selection and on-boarding can go only so far in making employees happy.
 
Next comes the immediate supervisor and the quality of management in 
general.  Poor supervision/management can make any job seem like Hell. 

For example, police officers often say that the greatest source of
their 
job stress isn't the inherent danger of their job but all the 
administrative headaches caused by their supervisors.  Employees become

more engaged/motivated in their jobs when they have (1) interesting
work 
(or work they like to do), (2) responsibility, (3) accomplishment, and

(4) recognition.  If supervisors/managers suck the life out of the job,

no employee is going to be a happy worker.  HR can address these issues

through supervisory training, 360 evaluations, employee attitude 
surveys, etc., but these efforts will not go very far without the 
leadership and support of top management.

Lance


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