Job Satisfaction
by John Latta 14 2008 www.g3pub.com Cover Story T here are truckers and then there are truckers. Some get a lot more out of their work-ing lives than others. They are more con-tent with their career and where it's go-ing. They like what they do better. They feel less stress and enjoy their life behind the wheel more. They have, in two words, job satisfaction. So what about the `other' drivers? The Conference Board has reported that Americans are growing increasingly un-happy with their jobs, and this decline is widespread among workers of all ages and across all income brackets. Half of all Americans today say they are satisfi ed with their jobs, down from nearly 60 percent in 1995, according to the board report which was based on a survey con-ducted by TNS, a market information com-pany. But among the 50 percent who say they are content, only 14 percent say they are very satisfi ed. Stunningly, the board reports that one in four of us just show up at work to col-lect a paycheck. Rapid technological changes, rising pro-ductivity demands and changing employee expectations have all contributed to the decline in job satisfaction, said the Board's Consumer Research Center. The Board cre-ates and distributes knowledge about man-agement and the marketplace to help busi-nesses strengthen their performance. So what's the difference? Why do some drivers rate their job satisfaction as high when it seems to many less satisfi ed, or even dissatisfi ed, drivers that their working lives are not all that different? Money? Yes. But it's just a single factor amid many. CoverStory_G31208.indd 14 11/20/08 3:39:48 PM