According to a recent survey of U.S. households by The Conference Board
(2010), job dissatisfaction is widespread among workers of all ages across all
income brackets in the United States. The study found that "only 45
percent of those surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from
61.1 percent in 1987, the first year in which the survey was conducted." As employers today what can we do to turn around employee
dissatisfaction on the job? First, it is
important to know that there are two different kinds of employee satisfaction. Satisfaction with the daily tasks and the work that is considered to be the essential functions of the job and satisfaction relating to the working conditions such as employee and management relations, pay, teamwork and the people.
These two types of satisfaction are very different, and it
helps for HR professionals to evaluate from both points of view.
For example, if your employees are dissatisfied with their
current job, ask them for ways to enrich their job. If the working conditions are unsatisfactory
ask your employees to provide feedback on how to improve their work environment
and personal interactions.
Finally, you will want to recognize that job satisfaction is
influenced by your employee’s expectations.
What people look for or require from a job such as compensation, job
security, autonomy, professional growth or independence varies and you can’t
meet all of your employee expectations all of the time.
