HR , Job Satisfaction & Bar B Q

I live in Springfield, Il. In case you didn’t know I will tell you that it is the Capital City of Illinois (no it is not Chicago). There is very little manufacturing in the city. The economy is driven largely by government jobs, then health care and insurance. Since there are so many folks working in government jobs, there is one theme that re-occurs over and over. The level of job dissatisfaction amongst government employees seems very high based on the comments that so many of them offer. I read time and time again about how those of us in HR need to engage our employees, and do our best to retain them, I look at these folks and I am dumbfounded.

Recently, I called a State of Illinois office in Springfield, and after a few phone trees I was talking to a fellow who seemed only able to communicate in monosyllabic utterances (higher form of a grunt). I asked him how his day was gong. His response, “… Better in 7 hours and 30 minutes.” Ok this guy is a public servant. I feel sorry for this guy. He needs to quit his government job and find something that makes him minimally happy or provides him some level of fulfillment – even if it is less money. This would make his life better. This is so apparent to me.

Earlier this month my wife and I were on a weekend trip to Rolla, Mo to visit my oldest son, who was in town for an alumni event. On Saturday evening we were going to go out to dinner. We decided to try someplace that we had never eaten, in five years of traveling to this Central Missouri town of about twenty thousand. You can hit most of the places in about 18 months as a parent. So my son and his student girlfriend took us to one of the newer establishment in the area. Just about three miles north of I-44 at mile post 185 is Randy’s Road Kill BBQ & Grill. (573)368-3705

The Ryan Clan dining & Randy Standing behind us.

The four of us sat down, looked at the menu and chatted briefly with our server. We ordered our food, and were served some really grand BBQ with all of the trimmings. Not too long after we had dined, a gentleman stopped by our table to see how everything was. After a fashion I had gathered that this was the proprietor. So I boldly asked him, “You must be Randy?” I was right.

Randy Hrovat then spent the next 10-15 minutes conversing with us, breaking away now and again to squelch a potential problem. He told us he had built this building himself. He came up with all of his own recipes. He had hire and trained all of his employees. Randy has done it all. He quit a successful career in sales to undertake this venture. He has leveraged most of his life savings into this establishment. But – Randy is happy and loves what he is doing. He told us that. You can see it in his eyes and his face. He is passionate about everything in his place of business. Randy has it figured out. Unlike my phone assistant who is employed by the State of Illinois.

I have written other posts on loving what you do. I think this is the only way that people will find true happiness in their work. So for those of us in HR we need to help folks find this happiness, even if that might mean moving them out of our organizations.

And in closing, if you travel between St. Louis and Tulsa on I-44 stop in Rolla and see Randy, being sure to order the Roadkill Loaded Chips as an appetizer – and then head over to A Slice of Pie in Rolla [(573)364-6203] for a decadent desert .

 - Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC - SHRM