With thanks to all who participated, here are the results of my latest weekend poll. Our focus: When’s the last time your employer asked about your job satisfaction?
Has your current executive or principal asked what you’re thinking about your career?
Only 43% of respondents were able to say that their current boss has asked about their job satisfaction. Does this surprise you, or is it consistent with your own experience? For those who have had such conversations, one third of your bosses have initiated such discussions in the last quarter. I suspect that these executives are likely to command a high degree of loyalty.
This is your job, and you’re compensated for it … so is it reasonable for an assistant to hope that your boss would ask you about your job satisfaction? 10% of respondents said no, while 90% said yes.
Do bosses make assumptions about your satisfaction and career aspirations? You know what they say about assumptions, but it would appear that at least some of them are well founded. 53% of respondents think your bosses make assumptions about your job satisfaction, and it would seem that less than half those assumptions are accurate. Another 27% of you see no evidence that your bosses are making assumptions, while 20% suspect that your job satisfaction isn’t even on the radar.
When it comes to your career aspirations, 36% of respondents see no such assumptions being made. 39% think that such assumptions are made, sometimes accurately. One in four respondents believe that their aspirations aren’t even on the radar.
So, why not raise the topic of your career aspirations yourself? Close to 25% of respondents reported being at complete ease with the notion of initiating such a discussion with your boss, and 47% ranked your comfort level at either 4 or 5 out of 5, with five representing complete ease. At the other end of the spectrum, 19% of respondents ranked their comfort level with initiating such a conversation at 1 out of 5.
Is there a corelation between comfort with initiating such discussions and your sense of whether or not your boss values or appreciates you? Read the stats below, and decide for yourself.
THE DATA
Is the sky the limit for your career aspirations?
Note: Information below reflects the percentage of respondents who selected specific responses from multiple choice options, and/or offered comments.
Has your current executive/principal/employer ever asked you about your job satisfaction?
- Yes: 43% of respondents
- No: 57% of respondents
If so, when was the last time your executive/principal/employer ever asked you about your job satisfaction?
- In the last month: 22% of respondents
- In the last quarter: 11% of respondents
- In the last half year: 6% of respondents
- In the last year: 22% of respondents
- It’s been over two years: 17% of respondents
- It’s been more than 10 years: 11% of respondents
- 11% of respondents selected “Other”. Two people commented, “Never”.
Is it reasonable to hope that your executive/principal/employer would ask you about your job satisfaction?
- Yes: 90% of respondents
- No: 10% of respondents
Do you think your executive/principal/employer makes assumptions about your job satisfaction?
- 20%: Yes, and I’d say those assumptions are accurate
- 33%: Yes, and I’d say those assumptions are inaccurate
- 27%: No; I don’t see any evidence of assumptions
- 20%: No; I think that my job satisfaction isn’t even on the radar
Has your executive/principal/employer ever asked you about your career aspirations?
- Yes: 35% of respondents
- No: 62% of respondents
- 3% of respondents selected “Other”. One person commented, “Yes and then I was told that I couldn’t go for it”.
Do you think that your executive/principal/employer makes assumptions about your career aspirations?
- 14%: Yes, and I’d say they’re accurate
- 25%: Yes, and I’d say they’re inaccurate
- 36%: No; I don’t see any evidence of assumptions
- 25%: No; I think that my career aspirations aren’t even on the radar
On a scale of 1 (great discomfort) to 5 (complete ease), how comfortable are you with the notion of initiating discussion of your aspirations with your boss?
- 19% of respondents: 1 out of 5 (great discomfort)
- 3% of respondents: 2 out of 5
- 25% of respondents: 3 out of 5
- 25% of respondents: 4 out of 5
- 22% of respondents: 5 out of 5 (complete ease)
- 6% of respondents selected “Other”. One person commented, “Boss is not interested”, and another wrote, “I don’t give up.”
On a scale of 1 (couldn’t feel any less valued/appreciated) to 5 (couldn’t feel any more valued/appreciated), how valued/appreciated do you feel by your boss?
- 17% of respondents: 1 out of 5 (couldn’t feel any less valued/appreciated)
- 24% of respondents: 2 out of 5
- 28% of respondents: 3 out of 5
- 21% of respondents: 4 out of 5
- 10% of respondents: 5 out of 5 (couldn’t feel any more valued/appreciated)
I think your results would differ in a later quarter-say June or October. This is due to the annual performance reviews usually in December/January.