When most people are job hunting, little thought is given to work values. But your personal work values will determine whether your choice of career and employer are a good fit. They play a key part in whether you will find happiness in work. In fact, your work values are probably the most important consideration when looking for a job.
In most cases personal priorities tend to dominate in the job search process. This is because we tend not to look for work until we need to. For instance, following a move or a period of unemployment or just because the current job isn’t working out for whatever reason.
We’re often focused on proximity, flexibility and salary. In fact, according to research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in 2023 it was identified that “there has been a perceptible increase since 2019 in the proportion of people who see work just as means of making money.” This is unlikely to be a recipe for work place happiness on its own.
In this blog I explore the benefits of researching career options based on work values and why it matters to your job satisfaction. Doing this prior to needing to find alternative employment may just put you on the path to your career happiness.
What are work values?
Work values are your personal beliefs and principles. They inform your behaviour and decision making in the workplace. They influence your choices and the way you interact with others.
Your motivations are linked to your core work values. So if you want to know how to be happy at work you need to align your job choice with your core values and your motivation to get up in the morning will follow.
We often include core work values in our CVs/resumes as buzz words for a job application. This might be just because they were mentioned in the job description.
However, they may not be an honest representation of who we are. Thinking about your actual core values is important if you want to find a job that will make you happy. Common examples of work values might include:
- Integrity. If integrity is important to you then being honest, reliable and understanding the importance of confidentiality will be high on your list.
- Teamwork. If you enjoy working collaboratively with others then being in or leading a team might be something that interests you.
- Focused, independent working. If you prefer your own company and to get your teeth in to a project from start to finish, this might be important..
- Creative thinking. Innovative people thrive in creative environments. If you are someone who thinks laterally, you might be unhappy in an environment where you are expected to take instruction. An employer who micro manages creative thinkers is a recipe for unhappiness.
This isn’t a comprehensive list but should provide an idea of what you need to be thinking about. The fact is your core values underpin everything from your soft skills development, motivations and work preferences. They are the explaination for the type of career you are drawn to, so should be ignored at your peril.
Sometimes its easier to consider your core work values in terms of these other criteria to get the full picture of the job that will make you happy. For a step by step guide to do this click here.
Looking for a new job.
When it comes to job search try to start this before needing to find alternative work. That will give you the luxury of putting aside your immediate priorities and allow you to just focus on your core work values in the search.
Focus on the potential employers and their company culture. Are there any that draw your attention more than others. What are their mission statements and what do people say about the employer in the LinkedIn profile or other social media accounts.
Draw up a list of the kind or work and companies that fit your core values and motivations and then watch for suitable vacancies when they become available. If you are able, network. Always go to a networking opportunity with a plan. In this case it would be to identify and target meeting those who can help you towards your goals.
And finally…
There is no magic bullet when it comes to finding happiness in work. It’s a combination of many factors, but your core work values underpin them all. If you don’t know what your values are the chances of you finding a job that delivers satisfaction is down to pure luck. When you get it right you not only enjoy your work but contribute so much more to the role. Given you spend so much of you life working, isn’t it worth the time and effort to choose the job that works for you.