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Fun and Money: The two reasons to come to work

There are only two reasons to come to work.

Fun and money.

And you have to have both. One of them will not be enough. Not if you want to love what you do, that is. Having a job where you get just one or the other, often seduces you into thinking you have found your dream job. But in most cases that dream fades like mirage as you realise a key ingredient of  ‘job love’ is missing.

And for recruiters, where our job is so hard, and the disappointments so many, you simply have to have them both for it all to be worth it.

Fun and money.

But let’s dig into what I mean by ‘fun’ and ‘money’.

At work, ‘fun’ is much more than just having a giggle. Fun means working in a business where you believe in the vision and the ethos. That’s where ‘fun’ begins. To do a challenging job well, every day, you have to be doing something that has meaning to you. Fun on the job means working with people you like and respect. Fun at work includes collaboration, mutual support and a strong bond of shared goals. Fun means winning more than losing, continuous learning, constantly growing as a business person, and doing something you know impacts people in a positive way. That’s fun. And it includes traditional fun too. A workplace where we can have a laugh, where we can socialise easily, enjoy each other’s company and celebrate group and individual success. A job that enhances your self esteem and sense of worth. That is fun.

Is that how it is for you where you work?

If you are going to thrive as a recruiter, indeed in any role, you need to have ‘fun’ the way I define it here.

But what about ‘money’?

I don’t simply mean the amount you get paid, as important as that may be.

I mean working in a business that is financially successful, for a start. If we have a great product or service and deliver it well, we will thrive. And that is where you want to work. Profit is not a dirty word. Profit is like oxygen. We don’t wake up every day with ‘profit’ as our only goal, but like oxygen, we sure notice when it’s not there!

Making money means we can invest in people, learning, marketing and technology. And that is fun! And ‘money’ means getting a fair reward for the effort applied and the result achieved. So a heavy element of reward for result is a good thing. And that means if you are good at your job, you get well rewarded. And financial success is important in only one way. More choices in life. And that leads us back to fun!

So there it is. You can read many books on employee engagement and motivation at work. Put them all aside. You don’t need them to evaluate whether you are in the right job, recruiter or not.

Want to love what you do? Work with the ‘twin sisters of the holy grail’ – Fun and Money

***************************************************************************************************

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  • Posted by Greg Savage
  • On September 28, 2011
  • 10 Comments
Tags: Coaching recruiters, job satisfaction

10 Comments

medicalplaces
  • Sep 28 2011
  • Reply
So true Greg, Richard Branson epitomises what you are saying, on a grand scale!
Bart
  • Sep 29 2011
  • Reply
Great post and so true. Fun and Money is really all you need at work!
Hannah
  • Sep 30 2011
  • Reply
Great post - very inspirational and good advice for all types of workers!
Dermot Grazebrook
  • Oct 7 2011
  • Reply
Hi Greg, Great article - concise and very true. We run corporate HR Exec Forums across SA and at each Forum we hand out Forum-Packs with content that we think may be of interest. Can I include this article under employee-retention? Think the Forum-Members will find it interesting. We'll include your weblinks on LinkedIn and Twitter so they can find you there if they want. Work in same company as WP Strauss. Look forward to your reply. Dermot. Teleresources
    Greg Savage
    • Oct 7 2011
    • Reply
    Hello Dermot Please feel free to use any of my blog material. I only ask that it clearly attributed to The Savage Truth with a weblink back to my blog. Thanks and regards Greg
Kasper Kyhl
  • Oct 18 2011
  • Reply
Short and to the point. True and pure gold. Love it
Miro Pobuda
  • Oct 29 2011
  • Reply
I fully agree. I even consciously give away margin for collaboration to invest in the fun part. Balance is key to success.
Jeremy
  • Jul 9 2012
  • Reply
Agreed, but think it was better explained in this video. http://t.co/qhoL2iE1
Rachel Fucich
  • Apr 19 2016
  • Reply
Hi Greg, I find your correlation between fun and money to be both honest on a personal level, as well as inspiring in regards to business tactics. As you described, many view the word "profit" as a "dirty word", but it is necessary for the growth of any business success, in addition to personal growth. Having a passion for your job and finding joy in the workplace environment are both major factors that influence success, personal reward, and ultimately profit in its many definitions. The relationship between fun and money create a cycle of success and reward, improving both personal satisfaction and business motivation. Thank you for your insight.
Eloise
  • Jan 20 2021
  • Reply
Great post Greg. Totally agree- you can (and must) have both!

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Greg is the founder of leading recruitment companies Firebrand Talent Search, People2People and Recruitment Solutions, and a current shareholder and director of several others, including Consult Recruitment. He is a regular keynote speaker worldwide and provides specialised advice for Recruitment, Professional Services & Social Media companies.





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