Job expectations

I arrived at work early this morning to find an email alert from my boss- the young manager
working just two doors down from my workspace had submitted his letter of resignation and
will be leaving our company by the end of this month. The news was rather surprising to
me at the first instant for he had only been working here for a measly 6 months. I was then
reminded of an article I had perused on The Business Times just 2 months ago.

http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/Office/Story/A1Story20100614-221971.html

The article reported that a recent Hewitt Associates survey reported that Singapore had the
highest proportion of firms bracing themselves for a rise in voluntary attrition out of several
Southeast Asian countries they had interviewed. My company had not been exempted from
this phenomenon either. In an effort to retain talent and attract the best out of the talent
pool in the external market, enhancements were made to our salary packages in the way of
leisure and entertainment benefits, and even opportunities for international postings, but to
no avail.

Our workforce has indeed grown to become highly mobile in the past years, with ‘fence-
sitters’ – those willing to switch jobs once new offers arise – making up a significant 51 per
cent of those surveyed, compared to just 33 per cent of our global peers. Such statistics
bring to my mind a few questions; are our young graduates demanding too much of their
work environment and prospects? Also, at the same time, it almost seems as if we nitpick
at every flaw and seize every opportunity to change our jobs whenever work circumstances
become harsher.

Aspirations vs expectations

People today need to distinguish between aspirations and expectations. For some people,
aspirations and meaning in work may be a positive motivation. (I personally disagree –
more on that later.) A civil servant may be motivated by a sense of public service; a doctor
may be driven to save lives; a researcher could dream of curing cancer. As long as they’re
realistic about their jobs. We may crusade towards lofty aims in our work, however that is not
tantamount to having high expectations, in the sense that we settle for nothing less than an
ideal work environment and demand to be richly rewarded as a matter of right. How is such
a generation, with much verve but minimal commitment and hunger for success, to survive
and achieve economic progress in the long run?

‘Expectations gap’

Such foolish attitudes have brought misery upon so many. During the recession last year,
many retrenched workers remained unemployed despite the opportunities available to them
in the job market due to this ‘expectations gap’.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/406377/1/.html

Yes, people would rather have their families go hungry than suffer the injustice of receiving
salary for work they may not enjoy. Harsh realities demand that we should manage our
expectations in line with the economic situation and opportunities available to us. It is time
we learnt to settle for less.

Backbone, or the lack thereof

Maybe the problem isn’t just high expectations. I think it’s also because youths just aren’t
as tough as they once were. They’ve been brought up to believe in the importance of job
satisfaction – which, as anyone in who’s worked long enough would attest, is usually a myth
in reality. They can’t handle the disappointment they feel upon learning this reality, so they
keep chasing after this illusion. Boss too tough and demanding? Call in the job lobangs
from their friends! Bored to tears by the monotonous work? Follow their “passion” and find
another field! What must their poor parents be thinking, after working their butts off for half
their lives putting these privileged youths through school? These youths need to wake up
and learn some of their parents’ good work ethics. Be thankful you’ve found a job, and stick
it out till the end, even if it’s not to your liking.

Be it high job expectations or a lack of backbone, we should always remember that, first
and foremost, the main purpose of a job is to feed you and your family. The income stability
that a job provides should be the most important consideration. It’d be quite selfish to think
otherwise. Apply for jobs, find the one with the best pay and best prospects, and stick with
it – don’t overthink, don’t blink, just grit your teeth and do it. If your job isn’t your “passion”,
join the club! It’s not the end of the world, you could still pursue your “passion” in your spare
time.