Job satisfaction refers to the fit between what employees want and what they get out of their work.
To be satisfied at work, employees must be able to feel positive emotions about their tasks, their relationships with their coworkers, their working conditions, etc. But above all, they must find meaning in their work.
All companies should continually strive to improve the satisfaction of their employees. There are so many benefits—from greater productivity and lower turnover to enhanced employee retention, customer satisfaction, business growth, success, and more.
The Factors Behind Employee Satisfaction
Given that there are many factors that influence job satisfaction, there is no one magic recipe for increasing the satisfaction of your employees.
This being said, there are some factors that play a more significant role in your employees’ overall satisfaction. According to a study by Détail Québec, relationships with colleagues and immediate supervisors top the list.
Other examples of staff satisfaction factors include:
- The work environment
- Pay
- Workload
- Available resources
- Job security
- Opportunities for career advancement
- Work-life balance
How Can You Increase Your Employees’ Satisfaction?
1. Send your employees a satisfaction survey
Before you can address your employees’ satisfaction, you need to measure it.
Start by drawing up a satisfaction survey to better understand their realities. Make sure the survey is anonymous, easy to understand, relatively short (5-10 minutes max.) and in alignment with your goals.
Here are some examples of questions to ask them:
- Are you satisfied with your salary?
- Would you say that you have good relationships with your colleagues?
- Do you receive feedback often enough?
- Is the feedback useful?
- Do you think you have a good work-life balance?
Use a good tool to help you with data collection—ideally online software such as Agendrix. This will allow you to better analyze the results and take appropriate action to boost your employees’ satisfaction.
2. Give your team members greater autonomy
According to a group of experts from the University of Sherbrooke, trust nurtures a sense of competence and helps employees attach meaning to their work.
To demonstrate your trust, make sure you give your team members sufficient autonomy. For example, you could allow your employees to trade shifts using scheduling software. This gives them greater control over their schedules. Also make sure to regularly take your employees’ opinions and suggestions into account.
Don’t hesitate to give additional responsibilities to employees who clearly demonstrate their potential. You can also offer additional training to employees who need it to become more independent and confident in their work.
3. Make sure that your employees can thrive in their role
For employees to thrive at work, they need to feel that their efforts are recognized and have a positive impact on the company—that they actually serve a purpose. This will help them feel more satisfied and positive about their work experience.
As a manager, you can help ensure that your employees enjoy their tasks and grow through their responsibilities. To do so, pay special attention to your employees’ strengths during their performance evaluation and ask them if their tasks are really suitable for them. This way, you will be able to organize the work to tap into their full potential.
Also, take the time to highlight your employees’ successes and recognize their good work in general. A sincere “thank you” never hurts.
Don’t be afraid to offer your employees additional training to ensure they continue to grow and thrive at your organization.
Think of employee training as an investment rather than an expense.
4. Maintain a friendly work environment
As we mentioned, having good relationships with colleagues is one of the most important satisfaction factors for employees. Maintaining a friendly atmosphere within the team is essential.
To this end, you can simply show genuine interest in your employees. Take the time to chat about everything under the sun to get to know them a bit better. Over time, you will develop a stronger bond with them.
At Agendrix, we believe that friendship at work is an asset for any team. This is why we don’t hesitate to organize team-building activities on a regular basis.
Of course, not everyone is equally comfortable sharing their personal life at work. Always respect it when some of your employees prefer to keep their private lives to themselves.
5. Offer better working conditions
Offering good working conditions is not a cure-all, but it does go a long way toward improving employee satisfaction.
In today’s labor market, where employees are spoiled for choice, employers must set themselves apart by offering attractive working conditions.
Don’t hesitate to periodically review your salary scales to make sure that you’re truly offering competitive salaries. Above all, make sure you offer your employees flexibility to support their work-life balance.
At Agendrix, we truly believe that working conditions make all the difference—and this is why we regularly take steps to improve them. For example, our normal work week has gone from 40 to 35 hours, with no change in pay. We wagered that this would enhance employee satisfaction without hurting overall productivity.
Satisfaction: The Cornerstone of Good Management Practices
Job satisfaction may be an abstract concept, but its impacts are very concrete.
Companies that go the extra mile to ensure employees’ well-being and satisfaction consistently come out on top. All you need to do is start by making small changes in your management practices. Slowly but surely, your employees’ satisfaction will improve.
