Evidence suggests that satisfied employees are productive employees. Happy workers bring increased profits, higher productivity, and lower turnover to their jobs.
Who is responsible for creating satisfied employees? What factors are under employers’ purview? Do employees bear any responsibility?
The answers to these questions are many and varied, but some factors push to the forefront. We cover some of those factors in this article.
The Basics of Satisfying Workplaces
One estimate places 50 percent of employee satisfaction under workers’ control. However, several studies find a majority of workers to be disengaged as a result of employer-created conditions, resulting in a trend known as “quiet quitting”, which is a precursor to turnover. It appears there is work to be done by both parties toward balancing the satisfaction equation.
Some elements of a satisfaction-oriented workplace are intuitive. Good working conditions, competitive pay and benefits, and an emphasis on fair and consistent rewards and recognition come to mind.
A few other factors have been widely written about. Near the top of the list are:
- Communication between management and employees. Allowing employees the freedom to exchange ideas and be confrontational when they feel the need to raise an issue helps create an environment in which employees feel that their voices are heard and their contributions matter.
- Culture is the collection of attitudes and behaviors present in the workplace day-after-day. Companies can work intentionally to establish a culture rather than passively watch it develop.
- Security can be an outgrowth of communication and culture. An employer that sets the tone in the workplace and communicates its mission well fosters a sense of well-being that contributes to employee satisfaction.
- Leadership pulls management and employees together and directs them toward the same goal. A concise mission and set of goals clearly expressed gets everyone moving in the same direction.
Employees Play a Role in Their Satisfaction
Employers can create an environment where satisfied employees thrive. Some of the responsibility for worker happiness, however, falls to the employees themselves and the attitudes they bring to the workplace.
Engagement seems to be the key word for the employee side of the satisfaction equation. Definitions vary, but engaged workers are described as excited to go to work every day. They tend to lose track of time at work and their days speed by. A Gallup article found that engaged employees and teams are more profitable, productive and customer-focused, and they have lower turnover and quality defects.
On the other hand, disengaged workers tend to dread going to work. They are prone to speaking negatively about their employer, and overall, are less productive, and more likely to negatively impact other team members as a result.
Some behaviors workers use to increase their satisfaction include:
- Choosing jobs and careers that are a good fit for their personality and interests.
- Not allowing challenges to become problems that limit performance.
- Focusing on strengths and not dwelling on areas of weakness.
- Being “intentional” about engagement, taking a proactive rather than reactive approach.
- Being unafraid of taking responsibility when outcomes don’t go as expected.
- Taking responsibility for their career goals by seeking training and advanced education opportunities when offered.
Workers and Their Employers Share Responsibility
For the satisfaction equation to work, employees and employers each must play their part.
Employers can provide an environment conducive to strong worker engagement and make sure their hiring decisions focus on the placement of employees who have a high likelihood of fitting into their job.
Equally, it’s up to employees to create satisfying relationships and take advantage of positive policies that let them reach daily goals and career advancement opportunities.
