Job Satisfaction, Employee Engagement And Organizational Success

A recent survey from the Conference Board suggests that Americans’ satisfaction with their jobs is at a 20-year low.  The study reports that only 45% of employees surveyed are happy with their jobs, which is down from 61% in 1987 when the survey was first conducted.  While the study suggests that the economy is partly to blame, there are other factors at work affecting this downward trend.    

Along with inflation outpacing pay and the rising costs of healthcare, a key factor, as cited by the Conference Board, is that fewer workers consider their jobs to be interesting.  Only 51% of employees surveyed find their jobs interesting as compared with 70% in 1987. 

Other key findings of the survey include:

-- 43% of workers feel secure in their jobs, which is down 16% in 20 years.
-- 56% say they like their co-workers, down from 68% in 1987.
-- 51% say they’re satisfied with their boss, which is down from 55% just one year ago.

More traditionally-minded employers might argue, “Who cares?”  But research suggests that the factors above are key contributors to employee engagement, which is strongly correlated with an organization’s overall business success.

The good news is that these factors – interesting and challenging work, job security, co-worker cohesion, and relationships with supervisors – can all be easily measured with an Employee Engagement Survey. 

ERC’s Employee Engagement Survey features a standardized questionnaire that measures 11 workplace categories, including the 4 mentioned above.  Survey reports include an analysis of results by demographic group (such as shift, job type, location, etc.), as well as practical recommendations for addressing low scoring areas.

For more information about ERC’s engagement survey process and a sample report, contact our HR Consulting group at 440/947-1283 or consulting@ercnet.org.