According to this year’s  Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) Employee Outlook survey, the economic downturn continues to erode people’s standard of living. It looks like it’s time for some slow.

The survey of 2,000 UK-based employees revealed that more than half of workers (54%) claim their top motivation for wanting to change jobs is to increase their salary and benefits, with improving job satisfaction cited second most commonly (42%). This is a reversal from last year when 61% cited job satisfaction and 48% said improving pay and benefits. The trends are uniform across all sectors.

So no matter where you are, it appears job satisfaction is a distant second to job security, salary, and benefits. In other words, people would be grateful for a financial boost rather than more job joy.

In light of the world financial landscape, it is no wonder.

Nonetheless, we can still find satisfaction in what we do if we look for it. My job (as a PR agent) keeps changing. Every day it is redefined based on the client’s current needs. It is exciting and daunting and causes one to stretch beyond one’s perceived limitations.

Power of Slow principle: Challenge yourself daily.

There are months when I write those invoices, feeling as though I’d accomplished so much, beaming with satisfaction and looking at a smaller bottom line than I realized. While good work was done, it didn’t translate to a greater paycheck, but a larger heart filled with the magic of a job well done.

You might be able to put a price on time (though I’d argue you really can’t ~ I’m working on that aspect of the marketplace, people, but the world’s bigger than me), yet you can’t put a price on satisfaction.

Related articles

• Pay is ‘key reason for job swap’ (bbc.co.uk)
• 10 Psychological Keys to Job Satisfaction (spring.org.uk)