Career Corner: How Involved Are You in Your Work?

Do you identify closely with your job? Are your moods and feelings affected by your work? Are you involved in your job?

Job involvement refers to the psychological and emotional extent to which people participate in their work, profession and company. Top performers who are engaged in their work generally have high levels of job involvement. Studies show high job involvement contributes to high job satisfaction, employee morale and productivity, and to the company’s objectives. What does this quiz say about you?

The Job Involvement Questionnaire

Answer Yes or No.

1. I am an effective contributor to my team.
2. I I’ll stay overtime to finish a task.
3. I feel depressed when I fail at something connected with my job.
4. I dislike the type of work I do on a daily basis.
5. Most friends agree I get my energy from work.
6. I never work weekends.
7. I rarely have input into decisions made in my organization.
8. I do what I can to just get by at work.
9. I don’t feel included in the team and lack energy at work.
10. I have sufficient resources and support to do a good job,

Scoring: 2 points for each Yes response to statements 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10; and 2 points for each No response to statements 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Add your points. The higher your score, the more involved you are in your work.

14 or higher. You seem to be very involved in your work, probably enjoy it, and are good at it. You may be active in implementing new ideas and bring value to your organization. Your job may be central to your identity. You generally feel good about yourself, are healthy, independent, growth-oriented, and enjoy intrinsic rewards. Your position may satisfy needs and enables you to express your purpose. You may have an infectious enthusiasm about your work that communicates to others. You take your work seriously, and your moods and feelings may be affected by work experiences. You tend to transfer your work engagement to others. But do learn to relax. Make time for fun. Spend quality time with friends and family members, enjoy leisure activities, and find time for yourself.

7 to 13. You seem to be moderately involved in your work and may be reasonably satisfied with it. If you are happy with your work and feel that you lead a balanced life, that’s fine. However, if your job satisfaction is low, consider doing something to improve it. With your superior’s help, restructure your position so that you can fulfill your needs and use desired skills. If it’s not possible to develop challenges or change your current position—and sometimes it isn’t, explore other options.

6 or lower. Your score suggests you are not even slightly involved in your work. You probably don’t feel included within the team and may also have low job satisfaction. Perhaps other aspects of your life are more interesting to you. Good! But low job involvement, which includes a lack of interest and enthusiasm, may spill over to other life components. It may even lead to poor health. If you really dislike your position, do something about it. Explore ways to restructure your job to make it more satisfying. Discuss your thoughts, feelings and job options within the organization with your supervisor. Explore other work and educational options or consider time out. Don’t let job stress and illness dictate your future. Take charge of your career and life.

Editor’s note: this has been a guest blog post by Dr. Carole Kanchier she is a career and personal growth expert, is author of the award-winning, groundbreaking book, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life (2014). A registered psychologist, coach, speaker, and columnist, Carole practices in Calgary: [email protected]

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