Many Canadians already have ‘dream job’: Survey

Two-thirds said they look forward to going to work every day

About one-half of Canadian workers are working in their dream job, according to a survey by BMO Bank of Montreal.

Forty-seven per cent of survey respondents said they have already found their dream job — and a surprising proportion of young workers shared that sentiment.

Forty-six per cent of respondents under the age of 35 had already found their dream job, and two-thirds said they look forward to going to work each day.

“We know that satisfied workers are more engaged and more productive and this can directly correlate to improvement in business profitability, customer satisfaction and lower turnover and absenteeism,” said Lynn Roger, chief talent officer at BMO Financial Group.

“But the inverse is also true; thus business owners and business managers need to be much more strategic in their hiring, not only finding employees with the right skills for the job, but also who possess a genuine passion for the vocation itself.”

Seven in 10 respondents said they feel valued at their workplace. Men were more likely to be working in their dream job than women (51 per cent versus 43 per cent).

Income levels did not appear to have a major effect on satisfaction levels in the survey. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents with an annual household income below $50,000 said they enjoy going to work every day, compared to 69 per cent of those with an annual household income over $50,000.

But even so, two-thirds of respondents said they would quit their jobs if they won the lottery. The exception was small business owners — only 39 per cent said they would sell their business if they won the lottery.

“This affirms what we know about small business owners – they are extremely dedicated to their business, and it’s reassuring that most would hold on to their business even if they won the lottery,” said Steve Murphy, senior vice-president of commercial banking at BMO Bank of Montreal.

“The challenge for small-business owners is to find employees who share a similar passion for the business and to design jobs that take full advantage of their skills and desires. In hiring such valuable workers, companies will help sustain their competitive advantage.”

Findings were based on an online Pollara survey of 1,005 Canadians.

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