“a certain point you have to evaluate whether the reward is worth the effort. And it hasn’t been worth the effort for a while now, but we’re just beginning to wake up and see it… and see our options”

You are so right…this is one of the reasons I’m on my own today!

I have choices and options, even in this crazy economy. Or perhaps because of it. No employers seem to offer full time jobs anymore, just temp-to-perm assignments with traditional carrots dangling that never seem to materialize. Hey, I’m all for a freelance-based economy, provided that there’s some form of universal health care to make up for the lack of employer-provided benefits.

What really has led to disengagement from me in the past is a growing sense of frustration with the corporate machine itself. Either I’ve been hired on as a freelancer and then expected to be “just as dedicated” as the full timers as incentive to ‘earn’ that full time post, or else I’ve been a full timer who was woefully undercompensated for the cost of living and value add that I’ve brought to the table. Being passed over, or watching other candidates competing for the same position passed over even though I felt *they* were much better qualified, it all adds up.

At a certain point, corporations are going to come to the realization that yes, employee compensation is a very large contributing factor to morale. Why *would* we offer up our untapped skills or be proactive about seeking further opportunity to do work when we’re already overworked, underappreciated, and severely undercompensated across the board?

I’m at a phase in my life right now when I’m pretty disillusioned with corporate America in general. Promises of eventual reward for a decade plus of loyalty to various decent managers completely nullified by the oppressive bonus system mandated by corporate hq and hr policies. They say that Gen X is getting much more picky about our jobs, and I believe it wholeheartedly. We’ve been patient, we’ve paid our dues, and now we’re ready to climb into the sweet jobs we’ve been promised all our lives, the jobs which would be the natural reward for hard work and performance above and beyond the call of duty.

Not anymore. I’m not the first of my friends who just up and quit from their day jobs because they just can’t handle the stress and social neglect anymore. Money -is- the problem, and quality of work intangibles aren’t cutting it as far as maintaining morale. Pay me what I’m worth or I’ll face my chances as a consultant.

Ironically, because my skillset is so completely specialized in my current company, there’s a very strong possibility that I will be called on to come back in as a periodic consultant. My rates will go from $30/hour to $150/hour for the -exact same services-. (If those amounts sound high, please understand that this is Fairfield county, Connecticut, where my ghetto neighborhood 600sq ft apartment costs me upwards of $1100/month in rent and the cost of living is obscenely high across the board).

So count me as perpetually unimpressed and therefore, unengaged by the typical corporate antics. At a certain point you have to evaluate whether the reward is worth the effort. And it hasn’t been worth the effort for a while now, but we’re just beginning to wake up and see it… and see our options.

New Work Rule: From now on, companies cannot call salary increases “raises” or “bonuses” until the percentage amount of the raise clears the regional Cost of Living percent increase. A 3% raise in a 5% cost of living increase economy must be called a 2% penalty.

Thanks!

The number of engaged employees–and, conversely, those who are unengaged or actively disengaged–is startling. This is true whether it’s the Watson figure, the Towers Perrin number, or the more familiar Gallup Q12 29%.

The clarity that contributes to an employee’s engagement is at two levels: clarity of expectation and clarity of communication of those expectations. There are two parts. The manager/supervisor must clearly know what is expected of the employee. In turn, that needs to be communicated clearly (and often) enough that the employee also knows the expectations.

And one more quick thought: my guess is that the proportion of engaged-unengaged-disengaged holds pretty true not only in the non-exempt but among the supervisors/managers as well.

Thanks,