A new Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study shows that the vast majority of employees are somewhat or very satisfied with their current job (84 percent). And while more than half (51 percent) of employees reported that current economic conditions made no difference in their job satisfaction level, job security was the most important contributor to job satisfaction (63 percent) for the third consecutive year. Sixteen percent of employees reported concern about the security of their job in light of the economy in 2010, down from 22 percent in 2009.
Long-term employees (16 years or more) were more likely to report being very satisfied overall than employees with less than three years with their organization (51 percent and 32 percent, respectively). Less than a third of employees (30 percent) indicated that they were likely to look for a job outside of their organization in 2010.
Other contributors to high employee job satisfaction are as follows:
Factors that did not contribute to overall employee job satisfaction include the organization’s commitment to a ‘green’ workplace; networking, paid training and tuition reimbursement programs; the organization’s commitment to corporate social responsibility; and career development opportunities.
Not surprisingly, employees who work for organizations that avoid laying employees off reported more satisfaction with their current jobs than those who work for employers that laid employees off in the last 12 months.
As far as the steps HR professionals report taking to keep employee job satisfaction high, effective communications was at the top of the list. Effective communication can dispel rumors, promote trust, and provide direction for employees. That includes communication between supervisors and employees and open communication about any potential bad news: the company’s financial standing and the need for budget cuts, hiring freezes, or layoffs.
