For this week’s post, we are explaining a situation where you engaged in a set of behaviors where compensation or benefits were the motivating factors. I have only had 3 jobs during my life, but I definetly have been motivated by compensation and benefits before.

My first job was working as a sales associate at the Columbia Employee Store here in Portland. The reason why I got this job was that I wanted some of my own money, and my parents were pushing me to get one. This one came recommended by a neighbor and was only a seasonal position during the holiday season.

Right off the bat, you can tell that compensation was the main motivating factor for me getting this job. I wanted the money that they would pay me. I knew that it would only be for a couple months, so I put in as many hours as I could because the pay was pretty good. Once I got into the job, I was also motivated to stay there because of the benefits. Some of the benefits were being able to shop at times others could not, and extra discounts on the products that were already marked down by 50%. I am big into outdoor hobbies like camping and skiing, so this was something that really motivated me to stay at this job, and come back the next summer.

Some factors made me decrease my efforts at this job after a while. Once I came back the next summer, I realized they decided to take away all the benefits I had once enjoyed about halfway through my time there. I would no longer get discounts, or get shop at special times. The pay was also not any better than a job that I had at college that was more fun and rewarding. At this time, I realized that this was not the job for me, and I left. During this time, management was going through many changes, and the organization of the store was in shambles. Those who were full time employees were only getting scheduled 20 hours a week while part time employees were getting scheduled 40+ hours. I realized that this job was not giving me the same happiness, and rewards as it once was.