5 Reasons Money Isn’t The Most Important Thing About Work

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Imagine that you have a choice between two great jobs. You’re excited by the challenging work the first position offers and got a good vibe from the co-workers you met during the interview process. It has respectable perks like paid vacation and dental insurance. The second job is more tedious, and rumor has it that the boss is very difficult to work for. However, it does pay 10 percent more than the first job.

Which do you choose?

A 2015 survey from Tinypulse found that almost a quarter of employees would change jobs for a 10 percent pay bump. If all else is equal, that’s an easy choice to make, but when there are other nonfinancial factors involved, the decision is more complicated.

When you’re looking for a new job, remember that an enormous salary isn’t always the only key to happiness. Here are five statistics that prove money isn’t always the most important thing when it comes to your job:

Thirty-six percent of people change jobs in search of more challenging work

The 2015 Why & How People Change Jobs report from LinkedIn revealed that the desire for more challenging and exciting work causes more people to leave their job than money. Only 34 percent of employees quit because they were unsatisfied with the amount of compensation they received.

Getting a paycheck may never get old, but as this statistic shows, doing the same mundane tasks over and over again sure can. Before you’re blinded by dollar signs, consider whether or not the position will push you to do better and allow you to use all the talents you’ve worked so hard to develop.

Forty percent of employees say their co-workers are the top reason they love their job

Not only did the 2015 VirginPulse survey find the effect co-workers have on overall job satisfaction, it also revealed that they improve productivity and relieve stress. Sixty-six percent of respondents said their work relationships positively impacted their focus and productivity and 55 percent said colleagues helped them manage work-related stress.

Of course you can’t choose who you work with, but you can look at company culture in order to get an idea of the type of people and personalities you’ll be interacting with. If you watch company culture videos or read testimonials from current employees and nothing resonates with you, it’s a safe bet that you won’t become besties with any of the employees in the office.

Work Environment is the number one cultural factor that impacts happiness

In the aforementioned 2015 Tinypulse survey, researchers measured the correlations between different work factors and employee satisfaction. Work environment had the most positive relationship with happiness, higher event than overall culture and team building efforts.

Maybe it doesn’t matter if the walls are blue or green, but having a comfortable and inspiring office feng shui can help you feel better about coming to work every day.

Sixty-seven percent of employees whose manager focuses on his/her strengths are engaged

A 2015 report by Gallup examined the effect of different managerial characteristics on employee engagement; focusing on an employee’s strengths instead of weakness wasn’t the only way managers impact their subordinates. Employees who believed that their manager helped them set performance goals and work priorities were also more engaged.

During the interview process, come prepared with questions about managerial styles popular within the company. Know what you want or need from you superior to be successful and find out if the company can provide you with that guidance.

Twenty percent of employees consider the opportunities for growth when looking for job  

In its 2015 survey, HubSpot found that there are differences across the globe when it comes to what attracts employees to a job. In North America, being able to grow and develop is the number one thing employees consider. In comparison, only 18 percent listed compensation as their main motivator.

Remember that although a generous salary might seem great, it might not be as impressive years down the road if your career hasn’t advanced any. Look for signs that a company cares about its employees’ professional development. Ask how often promotions come from within and what training opportunities are available. This will give you a clearer picture of how you’ll be able to advance with the company.

What other job satisfaction factors can be more important than money? Share in the comments below!