Happy People are More Likely to Keep Jobs

While many people might not master their jobs, they are more likely to keep that job if they have a positive attitude – even more than employees who know more about what they are doing but demonstrate a poor outlook. Studies show that employers currently value a sunny disposition more than skills and experience. Out of 1000 employers who were surveyed, 97% of them confirmed that they would give jobs to a good-natured person who did not have all of the skills required for a position over someone with all of the experience but showed a poor attitude.

This also applies to firing and redundancy. When employers were polled, two thirds of them said that they would fire more qualified workers whose outlook was bleak rather than a cheerful employee. Ed Mellet, co-founder of WikiJob, is quoted as saying, “This survey reaffirms the value of a positive attitude. … Skills can be taught and experiences gained, but a person’s mindset is a harder thing to change. … This is particularly good news for graduates with limited work experience who can now be assured that their enthusiasm and motivation are valuable assets to prospective employers.”

The findings of these surveys are particularly relevant now. With record unemployment in the young, the ripple effects of the recession have caused competition for jobs to reach a new high. Since it seems that many careers could be retained by employees with simply a sunnier outlook on life, many job-holders might begin going to work in a better mood.

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