By Senior Correspondent, Jerome Whitehead

Less than forty years ago, Corporate America was the place to be. You entered the job market with guts and determination that you would make it, working your way to the top, hoping to get recognized along the way for accomplishments that you've achieved…accomplishments that would cast a favorable light on your company.

You'd hope that the reward would be great, coming in the form of verbal praise, promotion and/or salary increase. If you were lucky, sometimes you got all three. Working long hours were expected because you knew the pay out would be good if not great. If you were good at what you did and were fortunate enough to have a boss or supervisor that could see your worth, life could be pretty good. Or at least that was the playing field three to four decades ago.

 

 

No one has to tell you that times have changed. Corporations don't reward the way they used to. Long hours and volatile working conditions are the norm. Recognition for a job well done doesn't amount to anything more than a pat on the back if you're lucky to get that. And forget about getting promoted or obtaining a salary raise outside of the annual cost of living increase.

Recently, I logged onto a Yahoo web site and clicked on a topic very similar to the one that you're reading. As a matter of fact, it inspired me to write this article. It basically gave a listing of why people were frustrated with their jobs, and it should come as no surprise that lack of job recognition, opportunity for professional growth and feeling under-appreciated were at the top of the list. That hit home for me. I could understand that completely.

The landscape for Corporate America has changed over the years. Corporations across the country that generally promote an acronym that reflects their core values oftentimes don't live up to them. It looks good on paper. It sounds even better in staff meetings. But the reality is that the atmosphere has changed from camaraderie to every one for him or herself.

 

The pressure is so high to perform and the economy is so bad that instead of being recognized for a job well done, the message is given that you should be thankful to have a job. In fact, the climate is so bad that people are struggling just to show themselves in the best light, even at the expense of their co-worker. And the worst part about all of this is corporate executives are very much aware of this, but oftentimes are so far removed from the plight of the average worker that situations often go un-noticed and unchecked. Professional blindness and deaf ears are turned towards the people that should matter the most. CEO's who stand to gain the most from the managers and the staff that work underneath them perpetuate the rule that if the situation is so bad working at this company, leave.

The reason for this is that someone will always be waiting in the wings to take your place, willing to do the same job that you are performing for less money…and that spells out to most of us as greed.
The message is sent to the average worker that you aren't worth the salary that you are being paid because there is someone that would be more than willing to do your job for less money and not complain while doing it. People are more frustrated than ever since doing a good job is no longer status quo. Now you have to be smarter, more efficient, faster and do it with a smile and pleasant disposition, knowing all the while that even if you perform above and beyond, your reward will only be a simple "thanks", if that.

 

This is not to say that every corporation is like that. I'm sure that there are companies out there that truly value their employees and recognize that having one good employee that is loyal and diligent is worth keeping, rather than replacing them with ten people that may do a mediocre job. The problem, however doesn't just stop at the entry-level positions. In fact, more often than not, high level executives are feeling the pinch, placed in precarious positions to perform but not given the proper support or resources or allotted a reasonable time frame to accommodate the demands that are placed upon them. Indeed, the pressure is felt across the board. All of the sudden, Corporate America became a place where people hate to come to work and can't wait to leave…and who can blame them?

When you come into an environment where your own perception is that you are not valued, but you hear the company spout off how they are the best place to work for, it somehow sends a mixed signal that maybe, the reason why you are unhappy may have nothing to do with the company at all. In fact, maybe the problem is you. You aren't grateful to have a job making what they deem as a reasonable salary when there are so many people out of work. You didn't get the promotion because you were not qualified to receive it. You didn't meet the criteria to get that raise that translates to maybe an additional twenty-five cents an hour. You didn't listen when the company released the thirtieth memo that instituted another policy that negated the first three policies that were so critical to the companies performance and growth.

There used to be a time when you grew with a company and somehow shared in their success. You didn't attend a corporate meeting and hear how well the company is doing and then walk away wondering why if they were, where did you fit into that equation?

 

The upside to all of this is that people in these circumstances are no longer sitting back and saying that these are the cards that have been dealt to me. People are saying that if there is something better, then I'm going to find it because there is no way that I'm going to be able to keep my family above water on the salary that I'm currently making. And if my salary happens to be good, I won't have the time to spend with them to reap the rewards of my hard work because I'm working so hard. People are striking out on their own because they are tired of their lives being in the hands of someone else. If their boss is having a bad day that translates to them having a bad day. Why?? That's not the way to run a business, boost moral or foster loyalty.

There's a saying that I'm hearing more common now than ever. The saying is that workers who find themselves trapped in a job where the message that they receive is that they are under valued because economics dictates that they have no other options may be locked in that situation now. But when the economy changes (and we all know that it will), those same people will remember how their employers treated them, and their allegiance will be to the next employer that will offer them a more lucrative package. An even older saying is that the best time to look for a job is when you already have one.

As I stated previously, people are looking for a way to make a living, maintain their standard way of life and obtain what most people desire to have which is a sense of purpose and well being. Frustration levels over office politics have reached a point where the fear or doubt that kept people from even acknowledging their dreams are now forcing people to rethink their aspirations. Can I make a living starting my own business? Will I be happier? Will my business fulfill me and if I have to work this hard, why not work for myself? What talent or idea do I have that will make me marketable? What can I do for myself that is currently not being done for me now?

 

Back in the day when we were slaves, we had no choices, no viable options. We went out into the cotton fields and did what we had to do. Now, in the new millenium, we're still struggling with our sense of purpose and well being. Enslavement is not just limited to African Americans but to anyone who works in an environment where they are not appreciated and rewarded for what they bring to the corporate table.

Things have gotten so bad in Corporate America that many people are now reaching for their dreams…dreams that should never have been placed on the back burner to begin with. What I can see happening over time is that Corporate America will have to come to the realization that having good solid people behind them so that they can really live up to the creedo that they like to profess themselves as abiding by may be the solution instead of replacing qualified candidates with another after an unspecified amount of time. Maybe the solution is paying a man what he's worth, thus cultivating loyalty. Give a man or woman a reason to work hard. By that I mean, let them know that they matter. Be a place that an individual can come to work and deal with the just the normal daily stress of accomplishing the task at hand. Give them goals to shoot for and reward them accordingly. This will help in building loyalty and allegiance.

So with all of this said, I ask you…what do you want to be when you grow up?