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Job Satisfaction

by Vince Tseng (Ballarat)

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What Is Job Satisfaction and Why Is It Important?

Are you aware of what right  actually means?

Determining whether you are satisfied with your job, whether it is right for you, and why that is important often involves personal intuition and circumstances. For some people, the right job might entail earning a certain salary. For others, the right job might involve having a supportive team.

With more than 21,000 participants in their study, researchers Dobrow, Ganzach, and Liu (2018) found that over a 40-year span, people who stayed in the same organization over time became less satisfied, and people who moved to different organizations over time became happier.

What does this mean? Does job satisfaction come from staying in an organization or leaving it? If someone were to stay in an organization, what would retain their satisfaction?

In this article, we will explore just that and more, including divulging the ingredients of job satisfaction, real-life examples of it, and how it relates to motivation.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Work & Career Coaching Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients identify opportunities for professional growth and create a more meaningful career.

This Article Contains:

What is job satisfaction, 10 proven ingredients for job satisfaction, is job satisfaction important 4 benefits, 2 real-life examples, a note on job satisfaction and motivation, positivepsychology.com’s job satisfaction tools, a take-home message.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

You have probably heard that quote before, yet it may still have relevance today. It makes us ask whether emotions like happiness, stress, and anxiety play an important role in job satisfaction.

The aptly titled Job Satisfaction (Hoppock, 1935) defines job satisfaction as any combination of psychological, physiological, and environmental circumstances that cause a person to truthfully say that they are satisfied with a job.

Going a little deeper and fast-forwarding to this century, job satisfaction has been called a set of favorable or unfavorable feelings and emotions with which employees view their work (Karatepe, Uludag, Menevis, Hadzimehmedagic, & Baddar, 2006).

Before we get to favorable feelings or proven ingredients for job satisfaction, let’s first assess what leads to those unfavorable feelings.

The graphic above from the University of Southern California’s Applied Psychology Program shows some factors that make American employees unhappy or burnt out with jobs.

Many of us have experienced unhappiness because of these factors and more at some point in our careers. Let’s take a look at what can be done to satisfy ourselves in a job.

Although it is subjective, job satisfaction research (Kumari, 2011) has showcased the following:

1. Communication

Communication can be extremely important to retaining levels of satisfaction, on both a personal and professional level. It is exhibited in allowing employees to be open, collaborative, trustworthy, and even confrontational when needed.

Defining a company culture links to job satisfaction as it provides values and guidance about topics ranging from organizational goals to appropriate levels of interaction between employees.

3. Security

It’s no surprise that once a culture is established in a workplace, satisfaction can then be enhanced by added feelings of security. Security may arise from knowing you work for a viable company with long-term goals, insinuating feelings of belonging to that company (Berg, Grant, & Johnson, 2010). This can be enhanced by having honest communication and transparency within a company.

4. Leadership

Tied into increased motivation for employees, leadership, or influencing a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2006), can lead to job satisfaction by making sure communication and instruction of tasks is adequate and easily understood.

In turn, when employees feel that leaders can guide them through tasks, their motivation and satisfaction increases.

With leadership having a crucial influence on job satisfaction, this related article with leadership activities  is a recommended read.

5. Opportunities

Employees can gain more satisfaction with their job when more challenging opportunities arise. This can lead to participation in interesting and diverse projects and get employees away from the monotony of a role.

6. Career development

Employees can become more satisfied with their job when they know there is an individualized plan for them. Beyond the formal nature of appraisals, if there is a path in place for growth, this can encourage employees to stay happier for longer.

7. Working conditions

Job satisfaction can be increased if a resilient workplace is a cooperative environment. This means a place with respect for diverse ideas and opinions, honest and constructive feedback, mentoring opportunities, and freedom from harassment.

8. Employee personality

Most ingredients linked to job satisfaction may have roots in elements outside of the employees’ control (such as leadership from managers and communication from company leaders), but what about the employees themselves? Can they control their own levels of satisfaction? Bakker, Tims, and Derks (2012) talk about just that.

These researchers discuss how job satisfaction can be determined by how proactive the employee is at work. Does the employee proactively seek out a manager for feedback? Does the employee go the extra mile to achieve tasks within a company? Does the employee try to stick to company goals, lead meetings, and ask questions when unsure about how to complete a task?

If yes, these employees are ones who can show more satisfaction in the workplace. Proactiveness in the workplace can lead to positive job appraisals, which when fed back to the employee, can lead to satisfaction.

For more on constructive feedback, read our article discussing ways to give negative feedback  constructively.

9. Pay and benefits

Organizational success and job satisfaction are also linked to employees’ perceptions of adequate pay and benefits (Edwards, 2008).

While pay and benefits are not the only reason employees find satisfaction in their workplaces, research going back more than 30 years (e.g., Gerhart, 1987) shows that pay and benefits, at least according to how employees view themselves in their roles, has ranked high on lists of job satisfaction factors.

10. Rewards and recognition

Beyond monetary gain and being paid fairly for the work they do, job satisfaction for employees means that promotional policies are unambiguous and in line with their expectations.

A key finding here (Kumari, 2011) is that satisfaction at a job is not exclusively linked to pay, but to the perceived fairness of how one is recognized at work for achievements.

2 Job Crafting Coaching Manuals [PDF]

Help others redesign their work. This manual and the accompanying client workbook outline a seven-session coaching trajectory for you, the practitioner, to expertly guide others through their own unique job crafting journey.

We have already discussed what employees look for in achieving and maintaining job satisfaction. But why is it important? And why should organizations care?

First, it is a primary responsibility of organizations to ascertain that employees are satisfied with their jobs through measurements, but also to find out the causes of dissatisfaction when employees are not feeling satisfied (McBride, 2002).

Tools such as the following help measure some important factors that go into employees’ job satisfaction (Spector, 1997, chapter 2):

• Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1985)
• Job Description Index (Castanheira, 2014)
• The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (Weiss, Dawis, and England, 1967)

As to why job satisfaction is so important, the Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Report from the Society for Human Resource Management (Lee et al., 2016) notes four benefits of making sure employees are satisfied with their work.

1. Increased profits

This is one any manager and employee might appreciate. Keeping employees satisfied can lead to higher sales, lower costs, and a stronger bottom line.

2. Higher productivity

Irrespective of their job titles or salary, employees who are more satisfied with their job, whether they feel satisfied with the organizational culture, with the rewards they are getting, or with recognition, can produce more and do it more efficiently.

3. Lower turnover

If employees are more satisfied with their job, they are less likely to leave. It also helps to recruit better quality talent as new talent sees employee staying power as added value.

When employees feel there is a growth path for them, they are more satisfied. In turn, because they feel the organization has their best interests at heart, they tend to support the organization’s mission and objectives. When this happens, employees may tell their friends or relatives about the good nature of the organization, which helps spread organizational goodwill.

The Job Satisfaction Wheel can help assess your current job satisfaction and identify improvement areas. Job satisfaction measures subjective wellbeing at work (Judge & Klinger, 2008).

According to Roelen et al. (2008), there are seven key indicators of job satisfaction:

• Task variety
• Working conditions
• Education and development opportunities
• Person-environment fit

Here’s how you can use the Job Satisfaction Wheel:

• Rate the seven job satisfaction domains on a scale from one – “not at all satisfied” to ten – “completely satisfied”. Place a circle around each score on the wheel.
• Connect your scores by drawing a line and forming an inner wheel. This gives you an overview of how satisfied you are with your current job.
• Looking at the wheel, where do you see areas for improvement? What would it take to improve the score? Which action steps can you take?

Honesty and communication about a company’s objectives and goals can be vital and are linked to job satisfaction for employees. But do employees only care about company success? How does honest communication impact their own, individual success?

The importance of honesty and communication

Agarwal and Mehta (2014) were interested in employee job satisfaction within the IT industry.

Their curiosity stemmed from the idea that IT employees may largely be working in isolation, away from other employees, and the researchers wondered if employees valued appraisals more in such circumstances than in other industries. They discussed how performance appraisal was directly linked to satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) for the employee.

Additionally, they also discuss how honest and consistent communication and regular updates of employee progress (bi-annual rather than yearly appraisals) can not only increase employee satisfaction at work, but also help companies by decreasing the rate of attrition. Interestingly enough, Agarwal and Mehta (2014) did not discuss company goals or performance in their findings.

Let’s take a look at some familiar companies you may have heard of.

Although the phrase “the customer is always right” may be common, it does not seem to ring all true behind the scenes (or the counter, in this case).

The CEO’s mantra was that if managers look out for employees, employees will look after customers. To do this, he offered health insurance to all employees despite the excessive cost and being advised against it.

Is it surprising that good leadership strengths , recognition, and reward given to employees increased job satisfaction and in turn increased profits for Starbucks? It certainly fits in line with the aforementioned research in this article.

While also producing satisfied end-users like us when using Google’s products, Google puts a lot of work into job satisfaction for its employees as well.

It’s interesting to note that Google does not care (perhaps as much) about employee titles, but more about what type of leaders its employees are, or emergent leadership. This draws us back to the importance of positive leadership in job satisfaction.

Gillett (2016) writes that Google attracts talent with competitive pay and keeps employees satisfied by allowing telecommuting. This may show an appreciation for work–life balance and retention.

Gillett also writes that according to compensation and data company PayScale, nearly three-quarters of Google employees find their jobs meaningful, citing that Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

She describes Google employees thinking that their goal of working at Google is a moral rather than a business goal, which in turn creates motivation to innovate and push into new areas.

These sound like great organizational goals that drive profits. Furthermore, Google staff certainly demonstrate that job satisfaction can indeed lead to employees supporting the organization’s goals and objectives.

According to Latham (2012), motivation is a cognitive resource allocation process in which a person makes choices as to the time and energy to be allocated to an array of motives or tasks. The key word here seems to be choice .

When an employee is able to make a choice, they feel more motivated to perform a task. When an employee is more motivated to perform and complete a task, this tends to be linked with higher job satisfaction (Jalagat, 2016).

Choice, as directed or allowed by organizational policy, can lead to further motivation and, in turn, job satisfaction as well as performance. This seems to be echoed by the work of Ilies and Judge (2003).

Ilies and Judge (2003) discuss how leaders interact with employees, specifically by talking to them more as a person, and how assigning tasks and providing a career path can affect their motivation level.

When determining job satisfaction, it is key to remember that human factors such as motivation, excitement, satisfaction, and dissatisfaction must be considered. This is clearly indicated by the Starbucks example.

When employees are encouraged to be great leaders and to engage in challenging opportunities, such as at Google, they can end up feeling more satisfied with their job.

As one of the key ingredients of job satisfaction, communication among employees, managers, and staff cannot be underestimated.

However, communication is not automatically generated or achieved right away. When introducing new employees into a workplace, it may be even more important to establish good and fun communication procedures between employees.

This helpful article with work-related communication games and exercises can help improve communication at the workplace.

For other ways to establish happiness in the workplace , this article offers a guide and tips for making employees happier.

To determine your own job satisfaction, you need to do an assessment of your strengths and skills. This tool guides you to complete a Strengths In Challenging Times worksheet in order to do exactly that.

Another invaluable tool based on the Japanese concept of ikigai is Job Crafting of Ikigai . It is an interesting exercise that helps you understand what fuels your passions and, in turn, change aspects of your role to make it more fulfilling.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others manage stress without spending hours on research and session prep, this collection contains 17 validated stress management tools for practitioners . Use them to help others identify signs of burnout and create more balance in their lives.

Job satisfaction can be a two-way street. Employees need to feel satisfied, and organizations must help employees realize their potential.

If you are interested in increasing the job satisfaction of your employees, be sure to look beyond the seemingly practical benefits of providing adequate salaries and health insurance, although those too are critical.

Motivating employees may be just as important. Job satisfaction links to motivation, which employees can gain even more of when realizing their full potential. Besides providing adequate salaries and health insurance, much more can be done by companies to motivate and guide employees. In turn, companies will reap the benefits of loyalty and shared objectives.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Work & Career Coaching Exercises for free .

• Agarwal, R. N., & Mehta, A. (2014). Impact of performance appraisal and working environment on the job satisfaction and attrition problem in the Indian IT industry. Paradigm , 18 (1), 73–85.
• Bakker, A. B., Tims, M., & Derks, D. (2012). Proactive personality and job performance: The role of job crafting and work engagement. Human Relations , 65 (10), 1359–1378.
• Berg, J. M., Grant, A. M., & Johnson, V. (2010). When callings are calling: Crafting work and leisure in pursuit of unanswered occupational callings. Organizational Science , 21 (5), 973–994.
• Castanheira, F. (2014). Job Descriptive Index. In A. C. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research. Springer.
• Edwards, J. R. (2008). To prosper, organizational psychology should overcome methodological barriers to progress. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 29 (4), 469–491.
• Gerhart, B. (1987). How important are dispositional factors as determinants of job satisfaction? Implications for job design and other personnel programs. Journal of Applied Psychology , 72 (3), 366–373.
• Gillett, R. (2016, April 28). 5 reasons Google is the best place to work in America and no other company can touch it. Business Insider. Retrieved  October 25, 2020, from: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-is-the-best-company-to-work-for-in-america-2016-4?r=US&IR=T
• Hoppock, R. (1935). Job satisfaction . Harper and Brothers.
• Ilies, R., & Judge, T. A. (2003). On the heritability of job satisfaction: the mediating role of personality. Journal of Applied Psychology , 88 (4), 750–59.
• Jalagat, R., Jr., (2016). Job performance, job satisfaction, and motivation: A critical review of their relationship. International Journal of Advances in Management and Economics , 5 (6), 36–43.
• Judge, T. A., Heller, D., & Klinger, R. (2008). The dispositional sources of job satisfaction: A comparative test. Applied Psychology, 57(3) , 361-372.
• Karatepe, O. M., Uludag, O., & Menevis, I., Hadzimehmedagic, L., & Baddar, L. (2006). The effects of selected individual characteristics on frontline performance and job satisfaction. Journal of Tourism Management , 27( 4), 547–560.
• Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. (2006). Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills & best practices . McGraw Hill.
• Kumari, N. (2011). Job satisfaction of the employees at the workplace. European Journal of Business and Management , 3 (4), 11–30.
• Latham, G. P. (2012). Work motivation – History, theory, research and practice . SAGE Publications.
• Lee, C., Alonso, A., Esen, E., Coombs, J., Mulvey, T., Victor, J., & Wessels, K. (2016). Employee job satisfaction and engagement: Revitalizing a changing workforce . Report prepared by the Society for Human Resource Management.
• McBride, E. L. (2002). Employee satisfaction: Code red in the workplace? Journal of Nursing Management , 10 (3), 157–163.
• Dobrow, S. R., Ganzach, Y., & Liu, Y. (2018). Time and job satisfaction: A longitudinal study of the differential roles of age and tenure. Journal of Management , 44 (7), 2558–2579.
• Roelen, C. A. M., Koopmans, P. C., & Groothoff, J. W. (2008). Which work factors determine job satisfaction?. Work, 30(4), 433-439.
• Spector, P. E. (1985). Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the Job Satisfaction Survey. American Journal of Community Psychology , 13 (6), 693–713.
• Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences . SAGE Publications, Inc.
• Weiss, D. J., Dawis, R. V., & England, G. W. (1967). Manual for the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Minnesota Studies in Vocational Rehabilitation , 22 , 120.

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Sample Essay: Job Satisfaction in the Workplace

Introduction.

Employment forms one of the main parts of human life (Inayat, 2021). In the rapidly changing modern environment, the workforce market is characterised by increasing flexibility. As the global pandemic has shown the benefits of remote employment to millions of workers, this inevitably increases the growth of the ‘gig economy’. As many competent specialists can easily move between organisations in both offline and online environments, this decreases organisational citizenship behaviours and makes it more difficult to recruit and retain highly skilled specialists. Job satisfaction is one of the elements defining the quality of life within the scope of employment. As noted by such authors as Ahmad and Raja (2021) and Prihadini et al. (2021), it has a direct effect on loyalty and performance. As a result, satisfied workers are less interested in changing their jobs and are more productive in the workplace. With that being said, a 2022 poll by Gallup (Collins, 2022) revealed that only 33% of the surveyed employees in all parts of the world were generally displeased with their jobs. In the US context, 50% of workers felt stressed on a daily basis with up to 60% of the global workforce reporting a sense of emotional detachment from their duties. This job satisfaction recommendation essay aims to explore the concept of job satisfaction from theoretical and practitioner standpoints and offer solutions to managers on how this element can be improved.

Job Satisfaction Theories

One of the most prominent and well-known theories in the field of job satisfaction is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1943). This model subdivides all employee expectations into five levels ranging from bare survival necessities to finding one’s true mission in life. According to Maslow, people generally attempt to move towards the upper levels of this hierarchy as soon as lower-order needs are satisfied. From a human resource management (HRM) standpoint, this means that employers have to provide sufficient job security, salary, workplace safety, and stability in order to satisfy the basic expectations of their workers (Maslow, 1995). However, higher levels of satisfaction are only achievable if the employees develop organisational citizenship behaviours and a sense of belonging emerging from the recognition of their achievements and their capability to fully utilise their talents, skills, and competencies.

Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Source: Neck et al. (2018, p.131)

Further scholars such as Alderfer (1969) reduced the number of pyramid levels and subdivided all employee needs into existence needs, relatedness needs, and growth needs. Moreover, they assumed that these elements were separate from each other and were not organised in the strict hierarchy suggested by Maslow (1995). As a result, different employees could set individual priorities and seek the achievement of different needs simultaneously. This changes the HRM perspective since companies have to offer a combination of tangible and intangible motivators covering all three dimensions instead of a basic offering addressing only the lowest-level expectations of their staff members.

Figure 2: Alderfer’s ERG Theory

Source: Bratton (2020, p.180)

These assumptions were further supported by such scholars as Herzberg (2017) who developed the Two-Factor theory. They came to the conclusion that employees had to observe basic ‘hygiene factors’ ensuring the satisfaction of their lower-order needs. These elements could include working conditions, salary levels, job security, management support, and other similar ones. Their absence immediately and radically decreased employee satisfaction levels. However, such benefits were offered by most companies in any developed economy with a competitive labour market and could not ensure long-term loyalty and commitment. Due to this factor, companies had to also develop unique motivators addressing the higher-order needs of their workers (Bates et al., 2019). Such elements could include the recognition of their contributions, coaching and mentorship opportunities, personal and professional growth, empowerment, meaningful job tasks, and a sense of doing something great in general. These factors helped employees overcome temporary challenges and understand why they selected this particular position in the first place.

Figure 3: Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Source: Greenberg and Bianco (2019, p.45)

Finally, the equity theory by Adams (1963) and the concept of procedural fairness imply that job satisfaction in the workplace can be influenced by two additional factors. On the one hand, employees appraise their inputs in the form of effort, hard work, loyalty, and commitment with outputs in the form of financial remuneration and other tangible and intangible stimuli. The comparison of these two dimensions results in a sense of being recognised and fairly rewarded or the lack thereof. In this scenario, organisations need to ensure that every staff member understands the kinds of inputs that are expected from them and the amount of outputs proportional to expected employee behaviours (Adams, 2022). This approach ensures that every person understands their role and functions within the organisation and can help it achieve its strategic goals while also realising their own needs, which is frequently called a good person-organisation fit. On the other hand, employees see the amount of rewards obtained by their colleagues. While financial remuneration sums may be concealed in some organisations, most workers usually recognise cases where compensations are distributed unfairly (Johnson and Davey, 2019). This situation is frequent in paternalist company cultures characterised by high levels of nepotism and favouritism. In these scenarios, employees can be dissatisfied with their jobs even if they receive proper remuneration in terms of their inputs/outputs ratio. This effect is explained by a sense of unfairness leading to learnt helplessness where greater performance is not associated with proportional gains due to favouritism and nepotism.

Job Satisfaction Antecedents

While theoretical concepts are primarily based on the mechanisms of job satisfaction, they may not include all relevant factors creating it (Uhl-Bien et al., 2020). This section explores practical evidence from multiple industries to identify what antecedents are shared by successful organisations to achieve the desired outcomes in this sphere. Such authors as Lepold et al. (2018) suggested that high levels of job satisfaction were primarily achieved by such factors as empowerment, good working conditions, open-door management policies, positive inter-colleague relationships, supportive supervision, sufficient compensation and bonuses, and open communication between employees and managers. These practices ensured high levels of perceived employment stability in combination with perceived transparency and fairness. Within the scope of Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory, this list includes a combination of tangible and intangible incentives from both groups, which supports the assumptions put forth by this model (Herzberg, 2017). At the same time, it may be difficult to conceptualise the comparative importance of each factor. Large corporations frequently organise monthly reviews of job satisfaction levels based on extensive reviews. However, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may lack similar resources and have to rely on guesswork in selecting the optimal combination of hygiene factors and motivators.

According to Conte and Landy (2019), job satisfaction could be viewed as a complex concept including antecedents, correlates, and consequences. The first group included various job characteristics, organisational roles, group cohesion, workplace stressors, and leader-follower relationships. For example, the presence of good communication and job enrichment practices could greatly increase the levels of job satisfaction. On the contrary, role ambiguity or the lack of supervision, conflict mitigation, and team-building mechanisms could be detrimental in this aspect. The correlates group represented individual employee characteristics such as overall life satisfaction, non-work stress levels, organisational commitment or job engagement (Hee et al., 2018). These elements could be deemed as mediators and moderators affecting the correlation between antecedents and consequences. Hence, even a fine-tuned system of organisational rewards and motivation could produce different results depending on individual employee characteristics.

Figure 4: Job Satisfaction Factors

Source: Conte and Landy (2019, p.354)

Finally, the consequences group includes a range of possible outcomes such as loyalty, absenteeism, intentions to leave or organisational citizenship behaviours (Abuhashesh et al., 2019). In this aspect, the capability of team leaders to recognise individual employee needs could help companies mitigate the adverse impact of correlates and maximise the positive impact of group-level antecedents on staff job satisfaction levels. In light of the above, such authors as Khan and Waraich (2019) and Oyewobi (2022) noted that job satisfaction could also be influenced by the styles of leadership adopted by the organisation. While autocratic and transactional approaches are still widespread in many companies, more and more successful firms are replacing them with transformational, situational or contingency ones. This process shifts the perspective from a leader’s traits, vision, and charisma to employee skills and competencies. Within the scope of longitudinal organisation development and sustainability, this approach offers a number of advantages (Zehndorfer, 2020). On the one hand, market conditions and other macro-environmental factors are changing at ever-increasing speeds. This means that sustainable competitive advantage needs to be based on transformational cultures supporting continuous change rather than one-time changes occurring every 5-10 years. Such results may be difficult to attain using traditional leadership styles. On the other hand, transformational, contingency, and situational approaches can increase staff satisfaction levels due to greater attention paid to individual employee needs and long-term goals (Neubert and Dyck, 2021). These styles utilise both tangible and intangible motivators, which increases employee loyalty and creates synergistic effects within the scope of the earlier analysed models.

Finally, the analysis of 360 organisations conducted by Aziz et al. (2020) revealed that perceived fairness in the form of equal treatment, equal promotional opportunities, fair competition, and high levels of organisational transparency were major antecedents of job satisfaction. In light of the earlier analysed theories, this confirms the assumption that remuneration size and composition do not work as isolated variables excluded from workplace cultures. If employees understand the processes and procedures associated with reward distribution, they could identify proper input behaviours ensuring higher levels of outputs. This clarity facilitated their personal and professional growth while also explaining any disparities between individual staff members (Scandura and Gower, 2019). On the contrary, the lack of such explanations and open-door managerial communication policies could lead to perceptions of unfairness and a sense of external control locus. In this scenario, job satisfaction decreased and staff members considered a change of the employer as the only way of realising their personal needs.

Conclusion and Recommendations

It can be summarised that job satisfaction in the workplace can be determined by a number of factors including perceived rewards fairness, open communication policies, transformational leadership, coaching and mentoring provision, perceived employment stability and security, and good working conditions and salary (Oyewobi, 2022). From a theoretical standpoint, they can be subdivided into multiple groups depending on their tangible and intangible nature as well as their capability to satisfy higher-order or lower-order needs. As also noted by such authors as Conte and Landy (2019), the application of specific practices can also be affected by individual employee background characteristics. For example, unsatisfied personal needs or perceived unfairness of rewards distribution may lead to turnover intentions for some workers even while others may be generally satisfied with standardised policies in this sphere (Hee et al., 2018). From a practitioner's standpoint, the capability to recognise such factors may be limited by the lack of organisational resources. Smaller firms generally lack the monitoring instruments used by large corporations, which may explain lower levels of job satisfaction and loyalty in the case of such ‘HRM myopia’.

The analysis has informed a number of practical recommendations. First, organisational policies need to ensure maximum transparency and clarity in terms of preferred employee inputs and corresponding outputs (Adams, 2022). This approach ensures that every staff member knows what actions and strategies will lead them to desired tangible and intangible rewards. As a result, organisations following this plan can enjoy higher levels of person-organisation fit. Second, a combination of hygiene factors and motivators may be preferable to the exclusive focus on one of these categories. Such concepts as Alderfer’s ERG model and Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory imply that employee members are not equal in their expectations (Bates et al., 2019). Hence, a variety of offerings satisfying both higher- and lower-level needs potentially leads to greater rates of job satisfaction across the organisation. Third, transformational, situational, and contingency leadership may be advised as the most effective management strategies ensuring employee engagement and commitment (Zehndorfer, 2020). They stimulate personal and professional development in the workplace, which helps staff members effectively deal with any emerging challenges and achieve higher levels of job satisfaction as a result.

Abuhashesh, M., Al-Dmour, R. and Masadeh, R. (2019) “Factors that affect Employees Job Satisfaction and Performance to Increase Customers’ Satisfactions”, Journal of Human Resources Management Research , 1 (1), pp. 1-23.

Adams, J. (2022) Behavioural Research for Marketing: A Practitioner's Handbook , London: Routledge.

Adams, J. (1963) “Towards an Understanding of Inequity”, The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology , 67 (5), pp. 1-17.

Ahmad, M. and Raja, R. (2021) “Employee Job Satisfaction and Business Performance: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment”, Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective , 25 (2), pp. 1-25.

Alderfer, C. (1969) “An empirical test of a new theory of human needs”, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance , 4 (2), pp. 142-175.

Aziz, N., Mustafi, M. and Hosain, S. (2020) “Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction: An Exploratory Analysis among Public Bank Employees in Selected Cities of Bangladesh”, Asian Journal of Economics Business and Accounting , 1 (1), pp. 1-23.

Bates, B., Bailey, A. and Lever, D. (2019) A Quick Guide to Behaviour Management , London: SAGE.

Bratton, J. (2020) Work and Organizational Behaviour , London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Collins, L. (2022) “Job unhappiness is at a staggering all-time high, according to Gallup”, [online] Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/12/job-unhappiness-is-at-a-staggering-all-time-high-according-to-gallup.html [Accessed on 2 February 2023].

Conte, J. and Landy, F. (2019) Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology , Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Greenberg, J. and Bianco, J. (2019) Organization and Administration of Physical Education: Theory and Practice , Champaign: Human Kinetics.

Hee, O., Yan, L., Rizal, A., Kowang, T. and Fei, G. (2018) “Factors Influencing Employee Job Satisfaction: A Conceptual Analysis”, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences , 8 (6), pp. 331-340.

Herzberg, F. (2017) Motivation to Work , London: Routledge.

Inayat, W. (2021) “A Study of Job Satisfaction and Its Effect on the Performance of Employees Working in Private Sector Organizations, Peshawar”, Education Research International , 1 (1), pp. 1-13.

Johnson, J. and Davey, K. (2019) Essentials of Managing Public Health Organizations , New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Khan, M. and Waraich, U. (2019) “The Effect of Leadership Style on Employee Job Satisfaction”, Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management, and Innovation , 1 (1), pp. 1-17.

Lepold, A., Tanzer, N., Bregenzer, A. and Jimenez, P. (2018) “The efficient measurement of job satisfaction: Facet-items versus facet scales”, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 15 (7), pp. 1362-1381.

Maslow, A. (1943) “A Theory of Human Motivation”, Psychological Review , 50 (4), pp. 370-396.

Maslow, A. (1995) Motivation and Personality , New York: Harper.

Neck, C., Houghton, J. and Murray, E. (2018) Organizational Behavior: A Skill-Building Approach , London: SAGE.

Neubert, M. and Dyck, B. (2021) Organizational Behavior: For a Better Tomorrow , Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Oyewobi, L. (2022) “Leadership styles and employees commitment: the mediating role of job satisfaction”, Journal of Facilities Management , 1 (1), pp. 1-15.

Prihadini, D., Nurbaity, S., Rachmadi, H. and Krishantoro, T. (2021) “The Importance of Job Satisfaction to improve Employee Performance”, Technium Social Sciences Journal , 18 (1), pp. 367-377.

Scandura, T. and Gower, K. (2019) Management Today: Best Practices for the Modern Workplace , London: SAGE.

Uhl-Bien, M., Piccolo, R. and Schermerhorn, J. (2020) Organizational Behavior , Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Zehndorfer, E. (2020) Leadership: Performance Beyond Expectations , London: Routledge.

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Job satisfaction is a critical aspect in the workplace because it tends to enhance motivation. It refers to the level to which employees like or dislike their jobs and their characteristics. Because most people spend a good percentage of their time in the workplace, it is essential to make job satisfaction a priority. The aim of this paper is to analyse the various factors that contribute to job satisfaction (Stride, Wall & Catley , 2007). Body The main factor that determines job satisfaction is the work environment. Useful work conditions tend to give employees the morale to work and contributeto a high job satisfaction. Employers need to provide a healthy work environment with minimum disruption and risks. Another factor is job security, that is, the assurance of retaining one’s job for an unforseeable future. An organization with high employee turnover tends to reduce job satisfaction for those still in the job because they are not certain if they will be there for a long time. It is important to mention the personal advancement and the compensation. Most people need a clear upward career path and appreciation for the work done. A job without promotion and recognition demotivates employees and lowers their satisfaction. Such employees will keep looking for better career options so resulting in reduced performance. The other factor is the compensation given for the work done; otherwise the staff will not be satisfied with their work (Spector, 1997). The operation of job satisfaction for all workers is unrealistic because in most cases people do not get what they want. Most workers only stick to their workplaces because they need the financial gains but in reality they do not like what they are doing. People need to balance their work and free time effectively by getting involved in activities that they enjoy doing. It will ensure that they get satisfied off work so making life more interesting. Conclusion It is true that most people spend most of their adult life working thus job satisfaction is essential, but this is not realistic . The expectations regarding job satisfaction are not fulfilled in real life so people need to create their satisfaction by balancing their work and free time. It will enhance the general satisfaction from life. Word count: 376 ””’ References Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes and consequences. Sage: Thousand Oaks, Ca. Stride, C., Wall, T. D., & Catley , N. (2007). Measures of job satisfaction, organisational commitment, mental health and job-related well-being: A bench-marking manual. John Wiley & Sons: Chichester, West Sussex.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Job — Job Satisfaction is More Important

Job Satisfaction is More Important

• Categories: Job Job Satisfaction Workers

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Published: Apr 11, 2019

Words: 346 | Page: 1 | 2 min read

Works Cited:

• Adler, F. (1975). Sisters in Crime: The Rise of the New Female Criminal. McGraw-Hill.
• Eronen, M., Hakala, J., & Lindberg, N. (2020). Social background and crime type: A study on homicide offenders in Finland. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention , 21(2), 225-240.
• Hickey, E. W. (2013). Serial murderers and their victims (6th ed.). Wadsworth.
• Moffitt, T. E., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H., ... & Sears, M. R. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 2693-2698.
• Odgers, C. L., Moffitt, T. E., Broadbent, J. M., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H., ... & Sears, M. R. (2008). Female and male antisocial trajectories: From childhood origins to adult outcomes. Development and Psychopathology, 20(2), 673-716.
• Ressler, R. K., Burgess, A. W., & Douglas, J. E. (1988). Sexual homicide: Patterns and motives. Lexington Books.
• Roberts, A. R. (Ed.). (2001). Juvenile justice and delinquency. Greenwood Publishing Group.
• Scarpitti, F. R. (2019). Born Criminals? Assessing the Theories of Cesare Lombroso. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 14(1), 29-41.
• Sellbom, M., Wygant, D. B., & Sleep, C. E. (2014). Differentiation between antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and psychopathy: Conceptual and empirical considerations. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 5(4), 440-449.
• Webster, C. D., Douglas, K. S., Eaves, D., & Hart, S. D. (1997). HCR-20: Assessing risk for violence (version 2). Simon Fraser University.

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Ielts essay # 1431 - finding job satisfaction is considered to be a luxury, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, finding job satisfaction is considered to be a luxury in many developing countries., why do you think that is do you think job satisfaction is important.

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Job Satisfaction and Motivation, Essay Example

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Job satisfaction implies to contentment that is attributed to interaction of the positive and the negative feelings inherent in an employee toward the work that his or her performs. Job satisfaction entails more of a journey than a destination because is is applicable to the employee and the employer alike. There lacks a definitive way of evaluating job satisfaction and ensuring that it exists (Armstrong, 2005).

Job satisfaction among the involves the process through which all requirements as well as demands of workers are efficiently addressed by team leaders, managers, as well as any other responsible person in the business. Job satisfaction may results from competently addressing the employees’ needs as well as wants in the workplace. People are different as a result of cultural along with personally differences, this therefore require greater examination in order to address all employees needs effectively. From time to time employee demands and wants keep on changing due to the dynamics and technological advancements in the society. This has consequently made employees to have changes in their needs at theworkplace which need to be looked properly in order to ensure satisfaction.

Job satisfaction factors

Employees in any organization have constantly admired to be treated properly in harmony with their needs as well as want in order to experience satisfaction and honor. Most of the organizations are implementing any potential strategies to identify how they can install satisfaction among their employees. Failure to satisfy employees is a significant factor in low productivity as they may find no reason to perform effectively.

The overall satisfaction with regard to his or her job is determined by several factors that work in combination. The most important of these factors involve financial compensation. Others include working conditions, opportunity for advancement, the level workload and stress, respect from the co-workers, relationship with the supervisors and financial rewards.

Opportunities of training and development in the workplace are also a key factor in determining if the employees will be satisfied or not in their workplace. It is therefore the responsibility of the management to create room for employees to advance their skills as well as knowledge. This is efficiently achievable through setting up training centers within the organization and also paying seminar fees for them. It is critical to pay bills associated with the employees medical expenses in case of injury while at work in the organization and also create a secure working environment by putting in place sound security measures.

Importance of Job Satisfaction at the workplace

Job satisfaction has important implications on the working environment of employees this consequently affects the level of performance and output of the employee. The level of performance depends on the happiness in employees that comes from job satisfaction.

Employees are the most valued assets in a company. Thus the management must consider sufficient investment in their human capital to facilitate for the creation of a positive environment in the workplace, empowerment of employees by means of trusted relationships and provision of secondary benefits which ideally prop up the work life, interests as well as the general well being of the employee.

Employee Motivation

Maslow’s theory of motivation and the 5 stage levels

Maslow’s theory gives a detailed discussion of the understanding of relative creation of individual realization in individuals turning out to be further refined particularly when to making an explicit understanding in as far as they are concerned (Armstrong, 2005). Maslow has divided the elements of employment satisfaction into five (5) stage levels. The stage levels comprise of self-actualization, the esteem, love or belonging, the safety as well as the physiological appreciation of what purposely makes up human beings to have a better feeling associated with their self worth.

Why Maslow’s theory is the most effective in the organization?

These theories compel the strike a balance on their policies and growth and development among the employees in their business enterprises. It could be implicit that these theories are particularly intended to make an unambiguous indication on the best possible approach of treating employees in the work place and consequently motivate them so that they can effectively respond accordingly to the requirements that the organization management anticipates that they give attention to (Armstrong, 2005). The ability to strike such a balance is an important precursor in the growth of employees which would occur especially in relation to the connection that the organization management have towards their employees hence creating a more unified organization that is geared up towards progress.

Motivation is a phenomenon that is translated in a varied manner among different individuals. Every person is unique in terms of their individual needs, attitudes, wants, beliefs as well as expectations. There is no solitary motivational method that works for every employee. A supervisor therefore should not think that factors that motivate him personally are the same as the ones that motivate junior employees. In turn, things that motivate one employee are not the same as those for another employee. In addition, the level of motivation between individuals is differs depending on the situation.

Examples on how companies use this theory to motivate employees

The theories postulated by Maslow are applicable in many business organizations because the self-actualization as well as self-esteem mentioned in these theories has a significantly critical impact on how an individual develops to become a better person. In an attempt to motivate employees, Maslow theories enforce the creation of balance on company policies which serve an important role in advancing the growth and development among the company employees for the mutual benefit of the employer and the employee.

It is imperative for managers to become skilled at the determinants of motivation in a business. Employees who are not motivated are likely to conduct their work with little or no effort, which results to low output. In worst scenarios, unmotivated employees have been known to exit the company. This in turn will not make the organization achieve its goals and objectives. In work places that have constant changing environments, motivated employees help organizations to endure and survive through hardships

Motivation is a very important aspect in the management of human resources. The continuance of an organization relies on the motivation of its employees. The senior management in the organization need to appreciate and recognize the importance of motivating employees. Many managers do not realize the effect that motivation can have on their businesses

Organization management plays a crucial role in enhancing firm performance. It is the duty of the management to enforce policies as well as structures that concern employees’ behaviour along with attitudes.

Armstrong, M, A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice , 9 th Ed. Kogan Page, London, 2005.

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Essay 103 – Job satisfaction is an important element

Gt writing task 2 / essay sample # 103.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual wellbeing.

What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer 1:

Since most adults devote a considerable amount of time at their workplace, job satisfaction is crucially important to the well-being of an individual. I believe that wages, working environment and career enhancement opportunities are the key determinants of job satisfaction. However, with different occupations, expectations may still vary, and I think that satisfaction with jobs remains a distant dream for the majority of employers.

To begin with, job satisfaction depends on several cogent reasons, like wages and salaries, working environment and promotion chances for example. Firstly, salaries play a paramount role in affecting job satisfaction. In simple words, money helps employees attain their basic needs. Besides, it is deemed a symbol of accomplishment as higher salaries reflect a higher degree of contribution to the organization. Secondly, the working environment also plays a pivotal role in influencing job contentment. That is to say that employees need an atmosphere which is safe and healthy, and which caters to both personal comforts and is conducive to doing a good job. Last but not least, the potential for career advancement is another factor in a delightful career. This is because employees regard promotion as the ultimate achievement and when they get a promotion, they feel absolutely satisfied.

However, it is well-nigh impossible for all employees to be completely satisfied with their job and workplace. In fact, a high-paid job exerts an enormous amount of stress. An employee who comes under pressure to work longer hours will not be satisfied with the profession, whereas a flexible job that entertains executives’ passion likely has low salaries. It appears that human nature is a formidable challenge for employees to find satisfaction in their occupations.

In conclusion, salaries, a stimulating working environment and promotional chance are the major sources of job satisfaction but human traits are actually a great hindrance to working delight and job satisfaction for all is not possible.

Model Answer 2:

Job satisfaction plays a crucial role in an individual’s overall wellbeing, considering the significant amount of time spent at work. While there are several factors that contribute to job satisfaction, it is important to recognize that the expectation of universal job satisfaction may not be entirely realistic due to various circumstances and individual differences.

Several factors contribute to job satisfaction. Firstly, a key determinant is the nature of the work itself. Jobs that provide a sense of purpose, challenge, and autonomy often lead to higher levels of satisfaction. When individuals feel that their work is meaningful and aligned with their values and interests, they are more likely to experience satisfaction and fulfilment. Additionally, supportive working environments that foster positive relationships, teamwork, and effective communication contribute to job satisfaction. For example, research shows that when employees feel valued, respected, and supported by their colleagues and supervisors, their overall satisfaction increases.

Furthermore, opportunities for growth and development are vital for job satisfaction. Employees who have access to continuous learning, skill enhancement, and career advancement are more likely to feel engaged and satisfied in their roles. This includes training programmes, mentorship, and opportunities for professional growth.

However, it is important to acknowledge that the expectation of universal job satisfaction for all workers may be unrealistic. Factors such as economic conditions, job market competitiveness, and individual circumstances can significantly impact job satisfaction. For example, individuals in low-paying or precarious jobs may have limited options for advancement or may face job insecurity, leading to lower satisfaction levels. Additionally, personal factors, such as individual values, personality traits, and personal goals, can influence job satisfaction. What may be satisfying for one person may not be the same for another.

In conclusion, job satisfaction is a crucial element of individual wellbeing, but achieving universal job satisfaction for all workers may be challenging. Individual differences can impact overall satisfaction levels. Therefore, organizations and policymakers should strive to create conducive work environments that promote job satisfaction while recognizing the diverse needs and circumstances of individuals in the workforce.

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Job Satisfaction

Updated 12 December 2023

Subject Management ,  Workforce ,  Work

Downloads 44

Category Business ,  Economics ,  Life

Topic Organization ,  Job

Job satisfaction can simply be defined as a feeling of contentment and accomplishment that an individual springs from his/her place of work. There are various facets that can make an individual be contented or not in the workplace and this greatly determines their performance, which is a great contributor to the organization’s success or failure. Low job satisfaction causes workers much suffering and this paper strives to examine the reasons for job dissatisfaction.

                    Low job satisfaction can be caused by a number of reasons including; underpayment, lack of interest, poor management, limited career growth and advancement and lack of appreciation. Underpayment is whereby, staff are not given enough wages with regard to their nature of work, which makes it hard for them to pay bills including the high cost of insurance (Johnson). Disinterest in one’s occupation is mostly caused by monotony in duties given; thus, with time, the work gets boring. Most employees derive thrill in challenges and without it, the zeal to become productive fades. Bosses who have poor management skills and provide little or no response to workers’ performance are considered poor managers. Some supervisors command workers instead of inspiring them, thus bringing about little output.

                    Partial development in the occupation comes about when employees feel fixed in their positions. Lack of promotions lead to this and in turn, affects their productivity negatively. Managers who contain their labor force in long-term strategies of the business, and pay them well, receive more commitment than those who do not. Lack of appreciation is also another factor that leads to dissatisfaction of employees. Managers who do not esteem their workers discourage them, but those who expression gratitude lift the employees’ confidence to give improved yields (Oscar).

                    Overall, employee satisfaction in the workplace is key if the organization is to succeed, thus managers have a fundamental role in ensuring their workforce is motivated enough to achieve this goal.

Works Cited

Johnson, Rose. "Key reasons for job dissatisfaction and Poor Employee Performance." Chron (2018). http://smallbusiness.chron.com/key-reasons-job-dissatisfaction-poor-employee-performance-25846.html.

Oscar, Thomas. Key Reasons for Job Dissatisfaction and Poor Employee Performance. 28 October 2014. https://www.careeraddict.com/key-reasons-for-job-dissatisfaction-and-poor-employee-performance. 19 January 2018.

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Job Satisfaction at a High Thanks to Work/Life Balance Strides

Female employees less satisfied, job switchers happiest

​Pandemic concerns, persistent inflation, burnout and more have wreaked havoc on employee well-being in recent years—but thanks to gains in pay, benefits and work/life balance, workers are actually happier than they have been in decades.

New data out from The Conference Board, a research organization, shows that overall job satisfaction among U.S. workers—particularly those who recently changed jobs—hit its highest levels on record last year. Overall, 62.3 percent of U.S. workers were satisfied in 2022—up from 60.2 percent in 2021 and 56.8 percent in 2020 and the highest level recorded since The Conference Board started conducting its annual job satisfaction survey in 1987.

"With unemployment at record lows, it's a seller's market for labor, and U.S. workers are reaping the rewards," said Eren Selcuk, senior economist at The Conference Board.

The Conference Board's annual survey , which asked workers about 26 components of their jobs, including work/life balance, health benefits, leave policies, retirement plans, workload and leadership—finds that every aspect of work has improved since the previous year's survey. The largest jump from 2021 to 2022 was work/life balance, which grew 5.8 percentage points to reach 60.1 percent in 2022.

Caitlin Duffy, director in the Gartner HR practice, said she's not surprised that job satisfaction has increased over the past few years, as the COVID-19 pandemic "had a seismic impact on the dynamics of the talent market."

"As organizations have shifted toward more remote-work models and adoption of hybrid/remote jobs became more mainstream, employees gained unprecedented access to expanded opportunities," she said. "Many were no longer constrained by geographic availability of open roles and had the freedom to pursue jobs in a wider range of locations, which increased the probability of finding a role that best fit their interests and preferences."

The data comes as employers make advances in efforts to boost employee satisfaction. Employees have reeled from social and health stressors in the past few years, and employers are working to keep them put as many employees left for other opportunities in 2021 and 2022.

In tandem with rising employee expectations, employers have turned to more mental health benefits, flexible schedules, remote work opportunities and bigger pay increases. Recent data from consulting firm Mercer , for instance, found that employers are shelling out bigger pay boosts to employees in 2023 than they have in years.

Allan Schweyer, principal researcher of human capital at The Conference Board, said the results "reveal that once workers are paid competitively, a strong workplace culture is the most important factor for keeping workers."

"Leaders gain the most by offering flexible, hybrid work arrangements and by emphasizing work experience and culture factors such as interesting work, reasonable workloads and opportunities for career growth," he said.

However, The Conference Board's survey reveals a significant happiness gap between men and women in the workplace. Women are significantly less satisfied than men across almost all 26 job satisfaction components surveyed, with large gaps appearing in job security, promotion policy, bonus plans, and compensation and benefits, including pay, sick day policy, vacation policy and health plans. This means, the report's authors wrote, that "firms need to be more conscious and intentional about achieving pay equity and addressing gender gaps across numerous other factors of satisfaction."

Contrasting Data

Some of the findings from The Conference Board appear to be good news for organizations—but they run in contrast to other recent reports. Benefits firm MetLife, in its annual employee benefits report out in March, found that while overall job satisfaction increased year over year to 69 percent in 2023 from 66 percent in 2022, job satisfaction registered its second-lowest score in a decade. MetLife also found that employees' satisfaction with their benefits fell to 61 percent in 2023, down from 64 percent in 2022, reaching its lowest point in the past decade. MetLife's survey of some 2,840 benefits leaders and 2,884 full-time employees also revealed sharp declines in employees' overall well-being, particularly in financial and mental health.

Missy Plohr-Memming, senior vice president for national accounts sales and group benefits at MetLife, told SHRM Online in March that one likely reason for the decline in benefits and jobs satisfaction is higher employee expectations in the wake of significant financial and mental health struggles. "While employers have made efforts to expand their benefits offerings, they simply have not been able to meet employees' evolving expectations quickly enough," she said.

Job changes may account for some of the stark difference. The Conference Board, in its findings, highlighted and surveyed workers who switched jobs recently. Workers who voluntarily left their organizations and found new jobs since the pandemic began were the most satisfied among all workers, the survey found.

Compared to workers who had not left for another job, workers who had recently moved to another organization experienced significantly higher satisfaction—a difference in the double digits in percentage points—in aspects such as pay, bonuses, educational and job training programs, and mental health benefits. That's likely a result of the tight labor market, which has left employees able to leave for higher pay, better perks and more desired working arrangements.

Record-high inflation is leaving the majority of employees dissatisfied with their pay despite rising salaries, Duffy noted, so it makes sense that some employees who left for a significant pay boost at other organizations might feel more satisfied with their jobs.

It's also important to note that The Conference Board survey of 1,680 workers was conducted in November 2022. Since that time, layoffs and benefits cuts have been become increasingly common as recession fears grow.

"Looking ahead, the short recession that many anticipate in 2023 may temporarily ease labor shortages," The Conference Board's report noted. "We see some signs of softening labor markets with job openings and voluntary quits declining over the last few months after record highs in March 2022. Declining worker mobility could reduce job satisfaction in the coming 12 to 24 months. In the medium and long term, however, changing demographics and restricted immigration will likely expand skill and talent shortages."

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