Whether it’s a Hallmark movie or a slacker-made-good comedy, American popular culture is full of stories about people landing their so-called “dream jobs” and living happily ever after. The idea that doing what one loves is all that matters in a career is romantic yet simplistic.
The current labor market is highlighting that reality for many workers and employers.
Dream Jobs Not All They’re Cracked Up to Be
“For the most part, workers have always hoped for roles that coincide with their interests and passions; swapping the office grind for that longed-for sourdough bakery, or fun role at a videogame company sounds like a no-brainer,” writes Leo Bear-McGuinness in an article for BBC Worklife.
Yes, he cautions, this attitude can have its drawbacks. In fact, he says that “many people find that their dream jobs require more work, under worse conditions.” These and other disappointments may cause them to ask themselves whether that dream job was really a good dream after all.
The Total Package
In other words, just because employees love the work an employer offers doesn’t mean they don’t care about money, flexibility, benefits, or other factors. Employers that have long relied on a hiring model that assumes “fun” or “rewarding” work will make up for long hours and low pay are likely waking up to the reality that those trade-offs aren’t as attractive as they thought.
This reality perhaps hit some industries harder than others, such as creative industries, which can certainly sound glamorous but often don’t deliver on expectations.
In fact, Bear-McGuinness says that “a 2019 survey showed most creative jobs in the UK—such as journalist, fashion stylist, musician and game designer—fell below the annual average salary.” Unpaid roles—like internships—also are quite common.
The same study, Bear-McGuinness adds, shows that “60% of under-30s said they hadn’t been paid for all the hours they’d worked in the past month.”
Paying for Their Passions?
Why do such practices prevail? Bear-McGuinness points to another study that suggests employers may feel that people who are passionate about such creative pursuits will be willing to forego other benefits, including pay, for the privilege of doing them.
Companies should certainly tout the attractiveness of the work they’re hiring applicants to perform, and the allure of a “cool” or “rewarding” job may still be attractive. But in a tight labor market and looming economic challenges, the value of a “fun” job relative to traditional incentives like salary and benefits may be waning.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.