Show Me the Money (or Something Else)

One of the biggest complaints about being an administrative professional is that we often aren’t paid enough for what we do.

But, is money really admins’ biggest issue? If your pay was doubled, would you be much happier?

We all know the adage that “money doesn’t buy happiness.” Many surveys have shown that more money, alone, doesn’t make a huge difference in the way people feel about their job.

Of course, this is assuming that your job pays you enough to cover all your bills. Maybe you don’t fly away on vacation once a year, or ever buy a new car, or own your own home, we’ll assume you do get paid enough that you’re relatively comfortable. (If you can’t pay your bills, it is all about the money. After that, other things are more important.)

So, if it’s not money—what does make people love their jobs?

Let’s take an example. Say your daughter is getting married in the summer, and it just happens to conflict with a major product launch at your company. It wouldn’t matter how much money you were offered to come to work then; you just aren’t going to do it, are you?

I’m 52, and when my dad was young, his family was very poor. Money was (and still is) very important to him. He has a “scarcity” mentality, meaning he’s always worried he won’t have enough money. Growing up, it seemed to me as if we always did have enough money, and I don’t feel that I suffered. I’m not sure he would see it that way.

When I was going to college, my dad instilled in me the importance of having a well-paying job above all else. I knew that I had to make good money so that I, and my family, didn’t suffer. I grew up focusing on the number that was my salary. Since being an admin doesn’t pay as well as many other jobs, I was always unhappy with my pay. That unhappiness worked its way into being unhappy with my boss, my company and my profession.

My children were not raised with a focus on the almighty dollar, in the way that I was. By the time I had children, I understood there was far more to life than just money.

When my younger son, Patrick, graduated from university with a degree in Engineering, he was in hot demand. At every interview he went to, he was offered the job. He was able to pick and choose where he wanted to work.

But the job he selected was not the best paying one. He turned down a six-figure position (right out of university, if you can imagine) because the “cost” of that job was more than he wanted to pay. They expected heavy overtime (as part of his annual salary), they expected a fair bit of travel, and they expected a lot more than Patrick was willing to give just for a big pay cheque.

The company he chose provides a great quality of life in a town that has reasonably priced real estate. And when overtime is expected it is not only rare, it is also paid. He was offered great benefits, and an education allowance. That was the job that made sense to him. I’m glad he didn’t focus on the salary; I’m sure he is much happier with the company he chose because it aligns with his values.

Glassdoor.com recently surveyed people about what was most important than money to them. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents said they preferred new or additional benefits over a pay increase.

Thirty per cent of people surveyed said a flexible schedule (for instance, the ability to work from home) was more valuable than a raise. A free lunch and casual dress were more valuable to 19% of respondents, and employee development programs were more important than a raise to 19% of respondents.

That list shows how important some benefits are over salary. Perks, in general, are an important job consideration to more than half of all people looking for a job.