About two weeks ago, I met a friend of mine and as we were both free, we went for a cup of a coffee. Ok, we had 5 beers (the Czech best ones – Budweiser Budvar, nothing in common with the American replica) in the final, but who cares. Coffee sounds better, even on the Internet.
He is an experienced marketing specialist, with the great results in the Companies. He led successful campaigns, delivered new services and products, which were successful on the local market. And he never thought about leaving the employment to start working on his own business.
After a small talk, we got to theme of our jobs. And he started to speak about his own job. How lucky he is as they provide him with a lot of resources and the general support from the Board and the others. And then he said… I will leave the Company.
In amazement I looked at him and asked him why? Speaking he looked very satisfied. And he told to me, they offered him just 6% salary review. I told him, the inflation rate is under 2% at this moment, so the rise is excellent.
He told me, he can ask for a more than 20% salary review at the new employer, just by agreement to join the organization. Excluding the sign on bonus.
I watched him for a moment and asked him, whether he needs those extra money. He told me, this extra money is not important for his life. They are important for his self-confidence. The more money he earns, the luckier he is.
I asked him, what about other aspects of his job? The support and the resources he gets. He told me, these two things are also important for him, but he believes he is such a strong guy, he will get those resources and respect in every other organization. And what about the company culture and other employees around him? He does not care about them. He is paid to deliver the results and to succeed in his role.
I was just thinking about my own job. As my job is to make people satisfied with the working conditions and not to focus them on their own salary. I believed, that the productivity and performance of the individual employee is not just his/her salary. But as everything this is not general.
I was once offered by one company to join them. I met the team and I decided – No, thanks. The salary was excellent, but the relationships in the workplace were very bad. And it had a huge impact on the overall performance of the team. And I know – when the team is not performing, I am not satisfied with my own performance. And to be honest – I am not a doctor to cure the relationships in the workplace.
