Dream Job Still a Hope for Most
October 10, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A survey of 1,100 people conducted by Kenexa’s compensation business, Salary.com found that while nearly 60% of respondents said they are passionate about their current careers, the vast majority of those surveyed admitted that they didn't end up following their dreams.
Kenexa Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Geisert said in a press release that the survey revealed only 16% are living the dream, but 60% of respondents said they wish they could still fulfill their dream.
Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed said it is either very important or somewhat important to work for a company that helps them achieve hopes and dreams. Only 19% of the respondents gave their employers high marks for doing a good job of fostering employees’ passions.
When asked what companies can do to better promote hidden passions, the most common answers were “communicate with employees” and “provide paid time off to let people pursue their dreams.”
Twenty-two percent of those respondents age 18-25 said they are working a dream job. That number drops to 14% for those ages 26-35 and drops even further — to 12% — for those ages 36-45. Also, when questioned about career passion, 71% of younger workers said they are currently working a job that genuinely excites them, but for people between the ages of 46-55, that number drops to 53%.