Recently I asked the members of a multifamily Facebook group this question:

“If you won the lottery tomorrow and decided not to work anymore, what would you miss MOST and LEAST about your current job?”

Nearly 100 people weighed in. Here are some of the trends in the responses.

What would people miss MOST about their current jobs?

• Far and away the most commonly cited thing was their coworkers. Amanda S. said it well: “What I would miss most: my coworkers…morning coffee talk/adult interaction.” And Olivia T. loves her co-workers so much, she’s going to take them with her on her lottery-retirement. She said this: “I would miss my team the most…but if I’m honest, they’d probably be on the beach next to me!”
• Many others said they would miss positive interactions with residents and customers. Said Theresa T, “I would miss the ability to help residents and prospects. Yes, even the irritable ones. I consider them my personal challenge to turning them into happy campers.”
• Said Christina H., who left the industry 18 months ago, “I miss the feeling that I did my job well, and that I understood…how to make people truly happy with the service I provided.”
• Hilariously, a great number of commenters said what they’d miss most about their current job was the residents’ dogs! “I would miss the residents’ dogs,” said April R. Chimed in Apryle M, “10/10 the dogs. All of them!”

What did people say they would miss LEAST about their current jobs?

• Again, there were some common themes. Lots of folks chimed in to talk about rude, crabby, mean, unreasonable, or entitled customers. Said Ashley K., “I wouldn’t miss the whining from residents.” Adrianne L. adds that she would not miss “the Karens.”
• There was a lot of talk about administrative burdens that wouldn’t be missed, too. Jaie R. described the pressure this way: “The finely detailed admin work that just has to be done or else the world will explode, and then we’ll get blamed for that and be sued for it.”
• Others commented on the round-the-clock stress of property management. Said Theresa T., “The thing I would miss the least is my inability to shut off my mind…when I’m off the clock.”
• Last, several people said they’d least miss being micromanaged by their supervisors.

What are the lessons here for supervisors who are trying to hang on to their teams? Here are a few suggestions.  

• Do what you can to minimize the headaches your teams are frustrated by such as dissatisfied, unreasonable customers. You can’t prevent all customers from being unreasonable, of course, but invest in conflict resolution training so your team is well-prepared to deal with problems when they arise.
• Lower the heat when it comes to administrative work. Will the world really end if that report isn’t done today? Could there be an easier way?
• Help your on-site teams to manage their workloads and their schedules so they don’t worry about what’s happening when they’re off duty or feel obligated to check in when they are off. Our residents may live there 24/7, but our employees need down time.
• Teamwork really does make the dreamwork! Look for ways to enhance the positive relationships among your team and knit co-workers even more closely together. Good relationships with co-workers are the #1 cited reason people would miss their jobs! This is the good stuff. Make the most of it.
• Last – clearly many of our on-site teams love residents’ dogs! Let’s dial up the pet-centric activities. They provide a resident retention benefit and also bring joy to the teams who support them! More yappy hours for the win.

Now, I’ll ask you: if you won the lottery tomorrow and decided not to work anymore, what would you miss MOST and LEAST about your current job? I look forward to your comments!