Friday, April 2, 2004 Issue
Job
satisfaction linked to age
Sean Williams
Staff writer
Stacy Styne is in it for the money, and she makes no apologies
for it.
Styne, 25, is an accountant with SBC in Schaumburg. It's
her fourth job in as many years.
"If somebody can promise me more money, I'll jump
ship. Most of the places I've worked at treat their people
poorly, so I feel no obligation to be loyal to them,"
she said.
Styne is a good example of younger workers in today's
job market, with money being of primary importance and
everything else secondary. In another 30 years, however,
she may not still feel that way, studies show.
Research at Indiana University shows that as people mature,
job satisfaction generally increases and plays a much
more important role in their lives.
The September 2003 study on job satisfaction found that
older workers are more satisfied than their younger counterparts
because as people mature, they become more aware of their
needs and make better choices. They have the past experience
to focus their expectations and target what's important
to them.
The study also revealed that an employee with less than
10 years in the workforce is far more concerned with salary
than anything else.
Office environment, vacation and quality of work-life
issues play a much smaller role in job selection.
Many times the haste to find a higher paying job without
researching added benefits contributes to stress and premature
burnout, the study showed.
The "Tech Journal of Employment," which surveys
employees in the tech sector, found that employees between
the ages of 20 and 35 are the most prone to frequent job-hopping
and being dissatisfied with their current jobs.
Younger workers tend not to weigh all the aspects that
contribute to job satisfaction, and the main reason is
lack of experience.
Ultimately, time becomes more important than money as
a worker grows older.
Such was the case with Patricia Gelatka, a store clerk
at General Nutrition Center in Downers Grove.
"My main concern when I started working over 40 years
ago was the money. When I had children, and then grandchildren,
time became a hot commodity," said Gelatka, age 60.
"Telecom Magazine," who reports the affairs
of telecommunication employees around the world, reported
the age group between 50 and 60 were the most content
within their professions.
The survey they conducted indicated that this age group
displayed about 20 percent more job satisfaction than
any other age group.
Another proposed reason is because many people in this
age group have senior positions and are secure in their
jobs. They also speculate that they're more comfortable
because they are reaching the age of retirement.
In contrast to younger workers, job satisfaction slowly
gains as one gets older. Those that have been in the work
force 20 years or more find their quality of life increase
and their overall happiness with their occupation.
Mel Hansen, who has recently retired after 40-plus years
at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
is finding that he misses his job.
He said, "It was awfully hard for me to retire because
I loved my job.
"My job didn't pay the best, but it gave me satisfaction
in that I was doing my best each day. I was in a position
to make a difference and offer my employer his money's
worth."
Hansen was very pleased at his overall job satisfaction.
He represents a statistic indicating that older people
feel happier about their jobs.
The Indiana University study also said that older workers
seem to enjoy their jobs more because they've had the
time to understand it, and they know how the system works.
They know what's expected of them, and they know what
to expect from others.
Seasoned workers also differ from their younger counterparts
in that they have a better understanding of how their
jobs relate to the overall bigger picture. They know the
political structure of an organization and how best to
use it for their advantage.
Younger workers often times get too caught up in the politics
and have difficulty regulating to effectively do their
job.
"It's a comfort zone thing after a while," said
Hansen.
"After so many years, I know how the politics work,
and I know how to work the system to get my job done.
It just takes experience."
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