Surveys, bloody surveys

Apparently, two recent surveys contradict each other (what was I saying the other day about surveys?). According to this article in Management Issues, a survey conducted by Investors in People showed that fewer than half of British workers were happy with the way their careers were progressing, while a more recent survey by The Work Foundation concludes that fewer than one in ten of us finds his or her job meaningless.

Now, I suppose that you could argue that the two statements are unrelated, and it is perfectly reasonable for someone to feel that their job was meaningful, yet be unhappy with the way their career was progressing.

You could also argue that, depending on how questions are phrased, you could get whatever results you wanted from a survey.

You might also want to question which company had a vested interest in the results....

Oh. and here's a surprise - "...people earning more than £50,000 per year were more likely to be satisfied compared with those who earned less money". I'm shocked!

Has anyone surveyed the surveyors, and asked if they find their jobs meaningful and fulfilling?