1. The Job Is Boring
Many felt the work was menial, didn’t yield results, or was repetitive. Several cited bureaucracy and other barriers that prevented them from getting things done.
2. Having a “Bad” Boss
Most of those who hated their jobs cited their boss as being difficult—too strong or too wimpy, uninvolved, wanting all the credit, invisible, or uninterested in what they were doing. Some also cited a boss who promised and never delivered as a huge demoralizer. Many indicated having a “bad” boss was the main reason they changed jobs within their firm or sought outside employment.
3. No Personal Time
Many of the negative responders felt that their jobs were too demanding—of their time, their energies, and their lives. In some cases, people said their boss never allowed any flexibility in working from home or in managing vacation or time off. Again, many cited this as a reason they had left previous assignments, often taking a lower paying assignment with more flexibility.
4. Difficult Working Environment
All of the “I hate my job” respondents felt that they were not part of a team. More often they referred to themselves as feeling alone and excluded with no one to go to for support. Some cited individual coworkers or clients who made getting the job done more frustrating.
5. Poor Pay
While salary was never mentioned in the positive responses, being underpaid, unrecognized, and not receiving a raise or promotion in many years was mentioned by many of the unhappy respondents. Some of the positive respondents actually took a cut in pay to go to a job that met the items cited in their “love my job” answers.
What Can You Learn From These Results?
If you are one of the people in the “love my job” category, congratulations. Appreciate what you have, continue to learn, and take on new challenges. If you are ever in a position of leadership, be the type of boss that you appreciate.
