Why Is Job Satisfaction Important?

Overview:

Job satisfaction is an often-overlooked part of employee well-being. However, employees are not the only ones job satisfaction affects. It affects the organization as well. This blog explains the various aspects of job satisfaction in detail.

Job satisfaction refers to how content employees are with their job. This definition of job satisfaction might sound simple but in reality, job satisfaction involves a number of factors. It includes but is not restricted to just the satisfaction employees get out of day-to-day tasks.

The following aspects need to be considered while assessing job satisfaction:

• How happy are employees with their team members and team leader. Do they have good communication within the team? Does an atmosphere of camaraderie and team work exist?
• How comfortable are they in their work environment. Do the settings at work make the employees feel comfortable physically and mentally?
• How happy are employees with the management? Do company policies promote employee well-being? Are they happy with the benefits they get?
• Does the company allow its employees to have a good work-life balance? This is a very important factor in keeping employees happy as personal happiness plays a big role in employee productivity.

A Multi-Pronged Approach Towards Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction varies from employee to employee. What makes one person happy might not work for another and hence organizations need to employ a multi-pronged approach to make sure that all employees feel fulfilled at work.

Given below are a few factors that contribute to employee well-being. Organizations can conduct surveys to check if the following expectations of employees are met:

• Many employees are driven by challenges. They might find routine work boring and may enjoy a challenge which tests their abilities. These kinds of employees thrive when they get an opportunity to prove themselves. So, the organization needs to make sure such employees are challenged sufficiently.
• Certain conveniences at work too influence job satisfaction. This covers various things from having an accessible work place (or being provided with proper transport) to flexible working hours.
• Who doesn’t like a word of praise on a job well-done? A message of appreciation from the management recognizing employees for their efforts plays a huge role in job satisfaction and motivates employees to strive further.
• Every employee will have personal growth targets to achieve. Getting to know them and promoting a conducive atmosphere to help employees achieve them will make employees happy.
• Last, but definitely not the least, is the pay that employees receive. Employees should not feel underpaid as this is a huge factor which affects their performance. To determine an employee’s salary the management needs to consider various factors like experience, education, job description, existing industry rates, etc.

Is Your Organization Doing It Right?

A few ways of ensuring job satisfaction are given below:

Show You Care:

• It is essential that the management not only takes care of its employees but shows that it cares too. But how does the management go about this?
• When an employee is going through a tough time, personally or professionally, the company can reach out and offer help. Just knowing that their company understands is a very comforting factor for employees.
• A simple appreciation message or mail to the employee telling him/her what a great job he/she is doing works wonders for the employee’s job satisfaction level. Everyone craves appreciation and sparing a few minutes to do this is definitely worth it.
• There are other options too – employees can be featured in company newsletters, notice boards can be put up recognizing employees, etc.

An Atmosphere of Respect:

• This is a crucial factor in ensuring job satisfaction.
• Getting scorned by other employees or being disrespected by superiors will affect an employee’s performance and mental well-being.
• Anonymous surveys can be conducted in this regard and if needed appropriate steps should be taken to address it.
• Research has shown that one of the most common reasons for employees’ quitting is because of other employees’ and superiors’ behaviour and has nothing to do with the job itself.

Job Security:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is making its presence felt with many jobs being taken over by it. This will definitely be a cause for alarm among employees, one they might not feel comfortable expressing.
• The management can address this concern by talking to employees about what changes can be expected and how employees will be equipped to deal with the change.
• Ensuring job security among employees is paramount as employees cannot be expected to perform their best when they feel constantly threatened.
• Establishing open channels of communication between the management and the employees can help deal with this.

Inclusivity:

• On the surface, many people do not understand how inclusivity in an organization contributes to job satisfaction.
• When an organization stresses on inclusivity, it translates to an atmosphere of impartiality and heterogeneity.
• Employees are not categorized according to race, language, religion, gender or age.
• Everyone is treated fairly and this culture percolates to the employees too who start treating their colleagues with the same inclusivity that is instilled in them by the organization.
• All this contribute to a happier workplace, one where employees feel comfortable and secure working in.

Work-Life Balance:

• A factor that we cannot afford to ignore, work-life balance is key to employee satisfaction.
• While job satisfaction for employees cannot be compromised, neither can the company’s productivity.
• But this does not mean that employees be pushed to such an extent that they are forced to compromise on their family time or other activities they enjoy.
• While there will arise situations at work which will demand more of our time, this scenario cannot be a constant as it leads to a toxic work culture.
• By allowing work-from-home days, paid leave and other benefits, companies can keep employees happy while also helping them perform their best.

How the Organization Benefits

The benefits an organization reaps when employees feel happy and fulfilled at work are numerous.

• Happy employees do not quit their work place and employee turn-over reduces drastically.
• Customers will feel the effects too as the way employees deal with them changes for the better.
• Satisfied employees will increase the referrals a business gets as there is no better or more convincing form of advertising than an employee’s commendation of his/her workplace.
• Organizational productivity increases and a mutually beneficial atmosphere results.