One of the consequences of the recession is that the number of new businesses starting up increases. Common sense would tell you that if people are being made redundant (or taking redundancy packages) and still need to earn, in the absence of other suitable jobs, one option is certainly to start-up yourself.

Whatever the statistics, and however long we remain in recession, my view is that we are going to see more and more people starting up businesses of their own and increasingly using their employment in large corporations only to gain experience, get training,  make contacts and accumulate funds until they can get out and do their own thing.  I think this is partly about a shift in society and partly a function of how large corporations and organisations operate now.

Review some of the literature and surveys around and they will often point to the reasons why people start their own business, besides the necessity to create income. Founders cite various reasons, amongst them:

1. To be their own boss or feel more in control of their own time now and in future
2. To take advantage of a perceived opportunity that their previous organisation cannot/won’t move quickly enough on to exploit
3. To work with people who are similarly motivated and not be held back by others who are not
4. To earn more for one’s efforts
5. To feel more valued and fulfilled
6. To do work that is more in line with their own personal values and ethos
7. To find a way to create a better lifestyle

The implication is that these things are less possible when working for a large organisation or someone else. But why?  Is it a result of what happens in large organisations – their structures, systems, the culture that exists, management style or something else?  Perhaps understanding what people seem to seek by starting out on their own holds the key to improving engagement levels.

For example, can managers delegate more authority and responsibility to increase the control employees have over their own work? Do they tackle with rigour the disengaged before they have the chance to undermine the engagement and motivation of others? Can performance be effectively recognised and rewarded?  And so on….

It’s Down To You

One beauty of working for yourself is that there is an immediacy about it – you know that whatever successes you have are down to you. You know that the decisions that need to be taken are yours to take and so on.  So perhaps rather than looking at gimmicks and initiatives around engagement, we need to start with the idea of what it is that makes work worthwhile for employees, beyond the obvious need to earn a living and for some, reducing the risk of otherwise running out of money to support the lifestyle we want.

Perhaps more consideration of the personal ambitions and expression in jobs, recognition of the social need for interaction and relationships to others and maintaining a healthy balance between life in work and life at home.  Better understanding of what work represents for employees might be the answer to not just better engagement but higher performance.