I was talking to a friend about the Money Magazine article that rated the top 10 companies to work for. He was kind of exasperated that he never had anything close to a single experience that some of the employees at these 10 firms have on a regular basis. I’ve included the link to the online article below, but here’s a short list of some of what the “best” companies provide their employees:
· Adoption benefits (time, money, and job security)
· Telecommuting options to allow for oversees living in order to volunteer in impoverished areas
· 4-year college financial aid (loans & scholarships)
· On-site childcare
· Paid time off for volunteering and community involvement
· Adventure trips
· Self-designed/created jobs
If you read the article, notice how many employees comment about their employers supporting and encouraging the elusive work-life balance. Notice how many employers promote life experiences and doing “what’s right”. Notice how many employers freely heap on the personal responsibility and authority to every level in their company. Notice that not a single employee commented on their level of pay. Notice that not a single employee commented on their love of the actual product provided by their employer.
Instead, each employee who raved about their employer felt appreciated and a personal connection with their peers and their management. People want to work. I’m convinced of that. But we complain about our jobs when we feel no connection to the people that we work with/for and when the job doesn't feel like it is of our own design and intention.
I’ve said before that I find it sad that most people will spend 40 years working in jobs that don’t give them a charge, just a paycheck. 40 years is a long time to not be happy about how you spend the majority of your day. So you have three choices to make things better:
1. Go search for a job at a place that excites you
2. Create for yourself the exciting environment at the job you currently have
3. Start your own business and run it how you want
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/pf/jobs/1101/gallery.best_companies_employees.fortune/index.html
