Set yourself the right goal

Dick hates his job but sticks with it for the money; Jane loves hers but wishes it paid more - what's wrong with this picture? In today's labour market, surely job satisfaction and rising remuneration go hand in hand? They do, but perhaps not as often as employees or employers think.

James Brooke, principal for sales recruitment specialists Gaulter Russell, says while money and job satisfaction are usually "inextricably linked" some employees are driven more by the fulfilment of personal goals - financial and otherwise - and will work at a job they care little for if it pays enough to further those goals.

"For this group, satisfaction levels at work don't matter; they will put up with an unsatisfactory job to reach other goals," says Brooke.

Further examples of those prepared to forgo job satisfaction at least in the short term include employees using a position only to gain skills towards a future employment goal, says Brooke. Some candidates review the skills they need to attain, look for a job and employer that can deliver them, and move on once the new skills are acquired.

"So they have job satisfaction of sorts until they gain the skills they desire, then the satisfaction ends and they go," says Brooke.

Where does this leave employers? Who wants to employ someone not fully committed to an organisation and its values or who places personal goals or more money before job satisfaction? Surprisingly, employers may actually benefit from such hiring's if they're careful, say the experts.

Murray Jack, CEO of professional services firm Deloitte, says employers are usually aware when they hire people who do not culturally match the values of the organisation or who are more interested in money than job satisfaction, but the risk can be worthwhile if the employer's need for the individual's skills is urgent. Examples include employers desperate to increase sales revenues within a short time frame by using a proven "star"; or those who need very experienced people to meet the demands of a major customer contract or internal development project.

"If an individual adds a lot of value to the organisation, an employer may be happy to pay them handsomely for only contributing [to the bottom line] and will not expect loyalty or the building of longer term relationships in return. However, the employer must be prepared for any trade offs," says Jack.

These include the disgruntlement of dedicated, loyal employees who care about job satisfaction and resent the fact a diffident star performer and Johnnie-come-lately is paid the most but not required to be a team player. If enough staff becomes unsettled and higher staff turnover results, says Jack, the decision to hire someone culturally unsuitable may prove costly in the long term.

Nicola Pohlen, managing director for HR consultants Pohlen Kean, says when the hiring decisions employers make don't align with their organisational values it may be due to certain needs around a certain stage in the business life cycle, rather than a serious attempt to secure the services of someone fundamentally working for money. In these cases, employers usually understand it is a short term strategy, says Pohlen.

But if some employees and employers can accept working for money rather than job satisfaction or hiring for results rather than cultural fit, does the opposite apply? Are people who love their jobs and are on an acceptable salary indifferent to being paid more over time?

Brooke says that's possible: people who are very satisfied with a job may have no expectation of receiving more money for a variety of reasons - these range from knowing their employer can't pay them more and wanting to help the organisation out, to understanding they have exchanged increased remuneration for lifestyle benefits; to little personal interest in increasing salary. Gaulter Russell has placed a number of people in positions with not-for-profit organisations and in many cases these employees take a pay cut to be there, says Brooke.

"Some people just want to change the world; they have a social conscience and job satisfaction is all they want," he says. Jack says others prefer to move sideways between organisations, rather than up though the same employer, and will take positions of lesser remuneration if they can apply their skills in a less pressured and more enjoyable work environment.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets this. Pohlen says employers can be frustratingly short-sighted about candidates who put job satisfaction or improved lifestyle before money and who are prepared to be paid less than their market value.

So are there employees out there who expect both increasing remuneration and job satisfaction? Actually, they are probably the norm. For top performers who love their jobs, not only is the marriage of job satisfaction and more money a realistic expectation, it is increasingly accepted as such by employers, say the consultants.

"If there is disconnect it is usually only for a short term. For those satisfied and increasing their productivity and performance, an expectation of more money is fair," says Pohlen.

Deloitte's Jack says people who expect more money from their employers usually do so for the reason they are happy, motivated performers who add value to the organisation in the first place. It is right for such employees to expect to be well rewarded, he says.

However, Brooke points out that while an employee can be very satisfied, an employer may not be. In this situation, significant pay increases will be unlikely whether the contented employee expects them or not.

"If you are happy and your employer has a similar feeling about you, then you are probably going to be [financially] looked after in today's tight labour market," says Brooke.

When performance isn't the issue, isn't it true that the more money someone earns the more responsibility and pressure they are likely to have and therefore the less job satisfaction? Jack says that's one perspective, but most people advance and take on increased responsibly because they are motivated and capable to do so in the first place.

"Often there can be more pressure at the [more competitive] lower levels of an organisation," says Jack.

Brooke says ultimately, money and job satisfaction will merge when job satisfaction is put first.

"Job satisfaction leads to strong performance and strong performance leads to increasing remuneration. Money alone rarely creates job satisfaction," says Brooke.

Put another way, if you're working only for the money, sooner or later you won't want to come to work. Best to get a job you love in the first place.