What makes people often change jobs?

Some people often change jobs. Is it because they want more money and better perks? What does it have to do with comfort at work?

JAKARTA (JP): In a job interview, Noor SDK Devi asked if she had a chance of becoming a manager. "If I didn't have a chance, why should I apply for the job?"

Desiria Ramadini had another thing on her mind when she sent in a job application. She wanted to work in a modern building. Her office should have air-conditioning, wall-to-wall carpeting and modern office equipment.

A researcher from the University of Massachussetts, Robert Weiss, surveyed 4,000 workers. One of the questions was whether they would continue working if they inherited a huge sum of money which would allow them to live comfortably. Eight out of 10 said they would. (Fortune, December 1994).

This shows that aside from salary, would-be employees have their own aspirations. Some dream of becoming important in their workplace. This becomes their ambition, something worth pursuing. This gives them self-esteem and helps them set standards in their lives.

Devi wanted to become a manager and knew she could make it a reality. This gave her extra spirit to work. And her dream came true. This 39-year-old woman became more than the first female manager in her company, PT Indosat. She is the human resources general manager.

And then there is Desiria, who works in her dream office. At 30, she is now the Hotel Regent's sales director.

Job seekers have many dreams, according to Pri Notowidigdo, a headhunter for Profesindo Reksa Indonesia, an affiliated company of AMPROP International. Some job seekers want high salaries, others want more: company cars, houses and other perks. In general, they also say they need challenges.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is that even though they say they want a challenging job, they often do not know what sort of challenges they want.

"When we asked them to explain about the challenges, many of them could not tell us," Notowidigdo said.

He was sure that some workers do not set their own standards, but probably use standards prevalent in their social circle. "Because their friends drive good cars, they also want to look like that." There is nothing wrong with that, he said.

He said it was not unusual for those in their 50s to put emphasis on their performance.

Somehow a wish to perform well is one factor that motivates people to work hard. Such a wish can make people stay in a job for years, or move from one place to another. Moving from place to place has become a trend among professionals.

But Harry Sudarsono, a manpower consultant, said it was not that simple. "They move from one place to another is a strategy to develop themselves," he said.

How about comfort at work? Don't they turn to another place because they want a comfortable working environment?

Sudarsono, as well as Notowidigdo, believes that money is one of the factors that makes one feel comfortable at work. But they underline there are other important factors.

Take Djoko Tata Ibrahim. Djoko, currently president director of PT Intermas Tata Trading, has worked in three other companies. He said there are four factors that make one feel comfortable at work -- salary and other remunerations; challenges; prospects; and working environment. "The priority depends on the individual," he said.

Employers

As for employers, they must be aware that there are employees who like to change jobs. They must be aware that headhunters might persuade their employees to move to another company. They will not have any problem if the employees who quit are not productive. But they will have a headache if young executives or employees with great potential resign.

Therefore, many companies have designed strategies to counter the hijacking of their executives. They give the employees not only money and perks, but also regular training.

Established companies open new sister companies to retain employees. Executives who have reached a certain level are transferred to the new company before they are hijacked.

"This is to prevent boredom, saturation and to accommodate those who need challenges," said Devi of Indosat.

Indosat executives who need challenges should not worry because it has 30 sister companies. When they do not feel comfortable at work, there is always a chance to move to another sister company.

But how about those working in a company which does not have any sister companies? When they feel that the job is not challenging any more, they might be tempted to take the offer to move.

Wrong concepts

In that case, Notowidigdo said they should consider the situation very carefully, even if the new job looks challenging. He suggests people should not take such offers if they cannot clearly define what the challenges are. Quoting Eric Fromm's To Have or To Be, Notowidigdo said that wrong concepts about the job often trap employees in their career.

"What's important is that you can define who you are and what you can do," he said.

Starting from that point, even though there is no guarantee that all your dreams will come true, at least you will know how to enjoy your work and feel comfortable with it.

It is therefore understandable that Desiria refused the offer to move even though it came with more money and a higher position. She feels comfortable working in the Hotel Regent, and is not interested in working in a different field.

Work perks, according to Desiria, is a factor to consider when choosing a job, but it is not fundamental. "You have to like the work," she said. And to decide what you really like is not always easy.

The above is an excerpt from Tiara, a fortnightly lifestyle magazine. The complete article with sidebars will appear in the magazine when it goes on sale tomorrow. It is printed here courtesy of Tiara.