What is satisfaction?
Satisfaction is a verbal noun from the verb " to satisfy", that is, to make someone happy, to fulfil a desire, a request. Each person has basic needs, the meeting of which his satisfaction with work and a company depends.
Job satisfaction is an indicator of how satisfied a person is with their work. Typical factors affecting complex satisfaction include working conditions, salary, comfort and safety at work, as well as the content of their work.
How Satisfaction and Engagement are Related
Satisfaction is one of the ingredients of engagement. Employees cannot be engaged in work if they are dissatisfied with their salary, working conditions, etc.
Satisfaction factors are also called hygienic - they affect engagement only when the indicators are negative. By the same token, where there is a high level of satisfaction, further improvement of these factors alone does not lead to a noticeable increase in work engagement.
How a Company can be Affected by Low Staff Satisfaction
Low employee satisfaction leads to low engagement. Thus, a company with low employee satisfaction faces problems typical of low engagement:
- Loss of customers and decrease in revenue. Employees with low satisfaction show indifference to the needs of customers, do not seek to study the features of the product, its differences from competitors' products. As a result, departments with low satisfaction lose 26% more customers, compared to those with satisfied staff, according to the Happy Job commissioned study.
- Increased production losses. Dissatisfied employees are 41% more likely to make mistakes at work and 48% more likely to be victims of industrial accidents.
In addition to direct financial risks, there are negative effects that are difficult to assess, but affect the company's activities and results:
- Total control. The manager is forced to supervise the dissatisfied employees, as they tend to make mistakes in their work. Control takes time that a manager could be spending on team development, making important management decisions, etc.
- Lack of trust. A lot of the time employees are engaged in clarifying their relationships instead of working. As a result, the quality of teamwork decreases.
- Bureaucracy. Dissatisfied employees don't do process improvement. The consequence is unsettled processes in the department, the company and an overly complex reporting system.
For customers to love a company, it should
be loved by employees
Which factors influence employee satisfaction?
Five factors influence employee satisfaction the most. Let's consider them.
Salary
The size of salary is one of the main motivators for work. If employees feel that they are not being paid enough for their work, their productivity will drop or they will look for a new job.
On the Happy Job platform, this factor is assessed through the “Salary” metric.
Work Conditions
Employee satisfaction is greatly influenced by the physical parameters of the work environment. For example, the temperature and noise level in the office. Unsatisfactory working conditions lead to a reduction in concentration, and, as a result, to frequent errors.
On the Happy Job platform, this factor is addressed in the "Work Conditions" metric.
Work Content
When employees are interested in their work, they enjoy it. Interest in work directly affects the level of employee engagement and satisfaction.
A study by Happy Inc revealed a relationship between performing challenging tasks and satisfaction. If employees have to use a variety of skills and experience to complete tasks, they are happy with their work.
This satisfaction factor is assessed by the “Interest” metric.
Safety
Neglecting worker safety in the workplace will lead to reduced productivity. It is important for employees to feel that their health is being considered.
On the Happy Job platform, this satisfaction factor is measured by the “Safety” metric.
Comfort at Work
Employee satisfaction is influenced by the office itself, the workplace, the tools used. They are capable of boosting morale and productivity.
You can find out more about staff comfort through the “Comfort at Work“ metric.
Employee Satisfaction Analysis
On the Happy Job platform, employee satisfaction is assessed according to five satisfaction metrics - "Salary", "Working Conditions", "Interest", "Safety", "Comfort at Work", which are submetrics of the engagement metrics "Conditions and Salary" and "Processes".
Each satisfaction metric has its own question. Employees' responses create a score from 1 to 10 for each metric. The arithmetic mean for all five metrics is the indicator for employee satisfaction.
Why Satisfaction Surveys Should be Anonymous
There is one way to obtain reliable results from satisfaction surveys - by providing employees with 100% anonymity when participating in the survey.
99.9% of employees fear that their honest comments and responses will negatively affect the relationships with their manager and colleagues. Fear of surveys can only be overcome by organising a safe space for collecting feedback, by guaranteeing the visibility of results for a department of five people or more.
Satisfaction Groups
Employees, depending on their answers, can be divided into three groups according to the level of satisfaction: high, medium and low.
High
This group includes employees with an average satisfaction metrics score of 9 or more.
Satisfied employees are satisfied with the working conditions and salary. When a company has a productive work environment, they will show high engagement.
Average
This group includes employees with an average score of 7 and above, but less than 9.
Employees who are less satisfied are generally satisfied with the work environment, but may actively consider moving elsewhere.
Low
This group consists of employees with an average score below 7.
Dissatisfied employees are unhappy with the working conditions and the level of pay. Even with a productive work environment, they will show low engagement.
How Often Satisfaction Surveys Should be Carried Out
The frequency of surveys depends on the size of the company, as well as the objectives of the study.
There are several research formats:
- • Annual survey. This format comprises a 5-question survey. 5 questions on satisfaction will give an upper cutoff of quantitative indicators, so it is recommended to use a large engagement survey to build causal relationships.
- • Pulse poll. After conducting the main survey, problem metrics are identified. They become the basis for a questionnaire of pulse measurements taken between large studies. The format makes it possible to keep track of the mood of the staff and take timely action. The use of pulse surveys allows you to obtain excellent results already before the next big study. This format is recommended as the most efficient in terms of implementing changes. It provides a constant feedback channel and an opportunity for continuous development.
How to Improve Employee Satisfaction
The Happy Job platform provides recommendations for improvement for each satisfaction metric.
Consider the "Interest" metric as an example.
To improve the metrics of satisfaction, the platform provides standard measures and the ability to add your own tasks. Measures can be added to the work plan. Thus, the manager will see what actions they have chosen to improve the employee's satisfaction score.
By implementing the measures proposed by the Happy Job platform, you can significantly increase the employee satisfaction rate for that reporting period.
