In this competitive market where unemployment is low, competition is fierce, and turnover is expensive, employers have been paying more attention to staff contentment levels in an effort to retain high-performing workers. And they are definitely on to something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recent research on HR and employee engagement has produced compelling evidence of the benefits satisfied and engaged workers bring to both their organizations and themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Job satisfaction statistics highlight the fact that happy employees really make a difference in any organization. Those who show up at work with an eagerness to overcome challenges, solve problems, and achieve set goals are the driving force of any business. Unfortunately, at the moment, only a third of the US workforce feels this enthusiastic about their job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This puts the ball in the employers\u2019 court. They are the ones who can spike these numbers by showing employees they truly care, by rewarding hard work and dedication, and by making employee wellness and engagement a priority. To discover how employee happiness can boost an organization\u2019s productivity and to learn how to deploy a winning staff engagement strategy, dive into our list of employee satisfaction and engagement statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Harvard Business Review)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employers who treat their workers respectfully have much to gain and nothing to lose. As a recent Harvard Business Review report confirms, when employees are respected by their leaders, their job satisfaction levels go up by as much as 63%. This, in turn, creates a 55% spike in engagement, while employees\u2019 focus heightens by 58%. This work satisfaction report also shows that appreciated employees are 110% more likely to stay with their organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though a management role entails a lot of responsibility and is often stressful, it comes with a set of perks that make up for it. Top-notch healthcare, paid time off, a retirement savings plan, maternity\/paternity leave, and professional development programs are some of the core benefits that compensate for the stress and create good work-life balance. Pew Research\u2019s job satisfaction statistics confirm that executives are particularly likely to say they\u2019re \u2018very satisfied\u2019 with their jobs, compared with only 48% of those who work in manual or physical labor jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Zoro)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The majority of employees feel that additional benefits would improve their overall job satisfaction. Medical insurance paid fully by the company is desired but not received by 58% of respondents, as is fully company-paid dental insurance (53%). Employee motivation statistics reveal that other perks workers desire but don\u2019t get include work-from-home\/remote days (40%), performance bonuses (35%), transportation allowance (32%), catered meals (31%), and student loan reimbursement (29%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019s not just the perks that matter. A study conducted by Pew Research Center on 5,000 working American adults from all 50 states shows that a higher income is directly related to overall satisfaction and happiness in terms of both professional and family life. Happiness and productivity at work statistics show that eight in 10 adults living in high-income households (with an annual income of $75,000 or more) reported being \u201cvery satisfied\u201d with their family lives, whereas only six in 10 adults from low-income families (with an annual income of $30,000 or less) reported the same level of satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Americans are divided on whether their job is merely a source of income or a more meaningful aspect of their lives that gives them a sense of identity. The same job satisfaction in the US study indicates a little over half of working Americans find purpose in their work. Another 47% of US employees say their job is just what they do for a living, while the remaining 2% hold multiple jobs and did not answer this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some jobs are just more fulfilling than others. According to career satisfaction statistics, most educators (70%) think their work makes them who they are. Healthcare workers feel the same way, with 62% of them saying their job gives them a sense of identity. On the other hand, only 42% of people working in hospitality and just 36% in the retail or wholesale trade identify with their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Speakap)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked whether company culture is important to them, almost 80% of US professionals responded in the affirmative. Not only that: 57% said they would take a job with a competitor if they felt that company\u2019s corporate culture were better than their current company\u2019s. According to Speakap\u2019s company culture statistics, respect and fairness, trust and integrity, and teamwork are the most important attributes of a strong culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Recruit Loop)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And while eight in 10 employees consider company culture vital to workplace engagement, only five in 10 top managers recognize this. Recruit Loop reveals that a little over half of CEOs surveyed admit the effects of corporate culture on how productive and creative workers are, how much revenue the company generates, and how quickly it grows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Career Builder)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the discrepancy between the percentage of workers and executives who understand the relevance of corporate culture can be accounted for by this shocking stat. CareerBuilder\u2019s nationwide survey conducted on 2,480 US employers and 3,910 US workers reveals that nearly 60% of managers get into leadership positions without receiving any training for the task. According to these HR statistics, the biggest challenges executives name are dealing with issues between co-workers on their team, motivating team members, performance reviews, and creating career paths for employees. Basically, all the tasks they find daunting reflect their lack of managerial training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Career Builder)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unsurprisingly, the same study found that almost a quarter of US workers rate their corporate leaders\u2019 performance as \u201cpoor\u201d or \u201cvery poor.\u201d CareerBuilder\u2019s job satisfaction statistics further explain that employees who are unsatisfied with their superiors think they don\u2019t make an effort to listen to employees or address employee morale. Employees also cite a lack of transparency and honest communication, major changes made without warning, unreasonable workloads, and impossible productivity demands as reasons for their poor evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly a third of employed adults in the US work just because they have to. They consider their job neither a career nor a stepping stone to one. Luckily, the number of devoted workers who believe they are on the right path is higher, with 50% of respondents saying they view their job as a career. Another 20% of Americans believe their current job is the starting point that will lead to a career, according to recently published employment satisfaction statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Officevibe)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though most employers are blissfully oblivious, with 89% of them thinking workers leave for financial reasons, in reality only 25% of employees abandon their jobs because of unsatisfactory pay. In fact, it\u2019s usually the employer who chases people away. Officevibe\u2019s turnover statistics show that 75% of people who end up leaving don\u2019t quit their job; they quit their boss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Globe Newswire)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women, who often need to juggle various responsibilities both at home and in the office, are more interested in a flexible work environment than men. Almost half of female respondents said they would quit their job to go work for a company that permits them to work from home occasionally, with flexible working hours. Men were less interested in this perk – only 39% of them would jump ship for this reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Globe Newswire)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Better-ranking positions tend to motivate men more than flexibility. Yoh\u2019s workplace statistics show that male employees often change jobs because of the prestige and power associated with executive roles. Their female counterparts are less inclined to switch work environments for a high-status position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(FlexJobs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Achieving work-life balance is a priority for a handsome majority of millenials. A whopping 83% of people born between the early eighties and mid-nineties assess a potential job on how time-consuming it will be. If they judge it will leave little to no free time, millennials won\u2019t accept such a position, as we can see from a range of job satisfaction statistics. When it comes to baby boomers, though, only 62% consider work-life balance a factor when deciding whether or not to take on a new role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The Manifest)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More money would not be incentive enough to attract professionals to a company with unethical practices. A 2019 study published by The Manifest shows that 79% of employees wouldn\u2019t come to work in a firm that neglects to act on sexual harassment accusations. Other intolerable practices, as reported in these retention stats, include selling users\u2019 data without their knowledge (76%), creating environmental problems (72%), and paying female or minority-background employees less (71%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Salesforce)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating a workplace where everyone\u2019s voice is heard and all have the same chance of getting ahead exclusively based on merit is an excellent way of motivating employees. Working for an equal-opportunity company makes staff 3.8 times more likely to feel proud of their employer and team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Global Newswire)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Work place statistics let know that US employees deem remote work possibility more important than short commute when considering a job change. If offered a position in a different company that would allow them to get things done without coming into the office, 42% of employed Americans would accept it. A job closer to home with reduced commute time would motivate only a quarter of US employees to leave their current job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Harvard Business Review)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A global study that included 9,800 full-time workers aged 19 to 68 from eight countries shows only 46% of workers trust their employers greatly. According to Harvard Business Review employee loyalty statistics, 39% of surveyed employees say they have \u201csome trust,\u201d while 15% report \u201cvery little\u201d or \u201cno trust at all.\u201d Employers who want to improve engagement and retention should keep in mind that people believe a high level of trust in their company has a major influence on them being happier at work, staying at the company, doing higher-quality work, and recommending the company to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Harvard Business Review)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To earn the trust of Generation Z, companies need to implement fair practices. Employee satisfaction statistics indicate that two-thirds of employees just entering the workforce consider equal advancement opportunities and merit-based salaries \u201cvery important\u201d factors in shaping how much they trust their employer. Learning and advancement opportunities are also very important for 66% of young workers when deciding whether to trust their companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(PR Newswire)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Career Vision\u2019s corporate wellness statistics reveal that 56% of the nation’s workforce believe they are overweight, and 45% believe they’ve gained weight at their present job. When asked what contributed to their weight gain, 51% said sitting at a desk most of the day, 45% said they were too exhausted from work to exercise, and 38% blamed stress-eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(PR Newswire)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employee engagement statistics indicate that more than a quarter of companies try to keep their workers happy and healthy by providing workout passes. Despite this, 63% of people who have access to these wellness benefits do not use them. On the other hand, 64% of workers say their employers do not offer such perks, but if offered, 42% think they would take advantage of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Glasdoor)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A job satisfaction by profession study published by Glassdoor in 2019 reveals that recruiting managers, with a median base salary of $70,000, tend to be happiest at work. Second place is shared by three professions: dental hygienists, who make $67,250 annually, sales operations managers ($93,000 per year), and product designers ($100,000 per year). All of these jobs have satisfaction levels of 4.5 out of 5. This data shows that, while money is important, it isn\u2019t the decisive factor in determining how one feels about their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The Economic Times)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As many as three-quarters of American workers believe new technology causes dissatisfaction at work, only 20% say tech innovation and new gadgets are responsible for raising their job satisfaction, while 5% are indifferent. These employee dissatisfaction statistics reveal that fear of immediate job loss, concern about fewer jobs in the future, and poor workplace ethics are the main reasons for this dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Gallup)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But according to Gallup\u2019s latest employee engagement statistics, the percentage of workers who are passionate about their job and feel committed to their work and their workplace is actually at an all-time high. The American analytics agency started conducting a yearly survey on employee engagement in 2000. In the nearly two decades since, the percentage of actively disengaged workers has never been lower, either. Employees who feel miserable about their work environment currently make up only 13% of the American workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Bonusly)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But why is employee engagement important? Because it creates pleasant workplaces people don\u2019t want to leave. When employees feel like valued team members whose contribution is recognized and appreciated, they are 87% less likely to leave their job, according to Recruit Loop\u2019s retention statistics. The bottom line is that it makes more sense, financial and otherwise, to invest in keeping high-performance workers than to constantly spend money finding and training new personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Gallup)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When people are satisfied with their job, have good communication with their superiors and their colleagues, and set clear goals, they are motivated to achieve great results. And they often do. According to Gallup\u2019s engagement statistics, teams that work in companies that nurture a high-engagement culture reward those companies with higher productivity, better customer engagement, better employee retention, and a 21% increase in profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Recruit Loop)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recruit Loop provides more detailed information on the financial rewards employers can reap if they increase worker engagement. Raising staff morale can also boost company profits. Getting employees to care just 10% more about the work they do and their company can bring in $2,400 per employee each year, according to these productivity stats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Gallup)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping severely disengaged workers – the ones who are so unhappy with their job they undermine the achievements of engaged employees on purpose – costs American companies a hefty sum each year. In fact, Gallup estimates the combined cost in lost productivity these workers cause amounts to $550 billion annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Recruit Loop)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staff rotation costs are another huge financial burden relating to employee engagement. Finding ways to keep workers motivated and truly connected to the company will ensure they are loyal to their organization. Failing to do this, however, means constantly having to search for new employees and spending time and money training them. Bearing in mind recent employee turnover statistics that reveal American companies allocate as much as $11 billion every year on replacing staff, it\u2019s undoubtedly more profitable to retain existing workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Workhuman)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As clear as it may be that employee retention is beneficial to any organization, HR leaders agree it is the biggest obstacle they encounter while managing personnel. Nearly half of HR specialists cite retention and turnover as the most challenging aspects of their job, followed by recruitment and culture management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Forbes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employers who care openly about their staff have an excellent shot at earning their workers\u2019 loyalty, according to Forbes\u2019 employee retention statistics. Human capital is a company\u2019s most valuable asset, so why not show some human interest in your workers? Celebrating important life moments, encouraging employees to use vacation time, providing company gym passes – these are all ways of showing the people who work for you that you care about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Workhuman)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fostering employee engagement in an organization goes hand-in-hand with letting employees know their hard work is noticed and appreciated. Tying these recognition programs with core values of a company is becoming notably popular among HR leaders. Why? Because values-based employee-recognition plans reward employees while reinforcing and driving business goals at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Workhuman)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Workhuman\u2019s job satisfaction statistics emphasize the importance of investing in programs that make employees feel appreciated. HR experts agree that underfunded employee recognition initiatives or initiatives with no budget at all give unsatisfactory results. A certain amount of funds – usually at least 1% of payroll – need to be set aside for these programs to be effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(McKinsey)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women and minorities remain underrepresented in many workplaces despite the fact that diversity has been proven to improve businesses\u2019 performance. US job statistics recently published by McKinsey bring to light just how big an effect diversity has on company revenue. Businesses that are in the top quartile for gender diversity are 21% more likely to exceed their industry median profits. In the case of ethnically diverse teams, the likelihood of exceeding median industry revenue goes up by 31%. It makes perfect sense; in diverse teams everybody brings their own perspective to the table, strengthening the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(McKinsey)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McKinsley\u2019s productivity statistics point to the enormous power of inclusion. Working towards empowering women and engaging them in the workforce around the world would be extremely beneficial to everyone. To put it in financial terms, the global GDP would increase by mind-boggling $12 trillion in the next six years if this goal were achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(O.C. Tanner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Onboarding is the employer\u2019s first chance to shape an engaged worker. Successfully communicating the company mission, setting clear goals and expectations, providing adequate training and mentorship, and checking in on each new employee\u2019s progress are some of the most important ways to retain staff. Employee engagement and retention begin on day one. If done properly, these initial actions can ensure the majority of workers stay with the organization for a minimum of three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(O.C Tanner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as effective onboarding has the power to lock down new hires for years, a mishandled onboarding process can drive new employees away in just 45 days. As O.C. Tanner\u2019s employee retention stats show, a fifth of all employee churn happens during this short period of time. Deploying the previously mentioned techniques reduces the likelihood of employee walkout, both at the beginning of employment and later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(O.C Tanner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost two-thirds of employers make the huge mistake of not determining well-defined goals for new hires during their first year on the job. Even though it may seem sensible not to put too much pressure on new team members and give them time to learn the ropes, it is detrimental for the organization not to set clear targets for the first year on the job. According to employee engagement data, if workers don\u2019t see management taking interest in their results, monitoring them, and providing constructive feedback, they can easily become disengaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Recruit Loop)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employees and their bosses are on the same page when it comes to pinning down the reasons for workplace failures. The large majority of all workers think clearer communication and more collaboration would lead to better results, but only 18% of employees are evaluated on communication in their performance reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(O.C. Tanner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O.C. Tanner\u2019s recently published employee development statistics point to the importance of involving employees in projects that go beyond their everyday tasks. Constantly focusing on just a few assignments kills workers\u2019 motivation. So, when a new project arises, make sure to include not just the employees who can contribute, but also those who can learn from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(McKinsey)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People from different backgrounds have different perspectives. Thanks to their unique set of previous experiences, they view problems from a range of angles and come up with different solutions. When people with different outlooks bounce ideas off of each other, they think of better solutions than like-minded people from the same culture. As McKinsey\u2019s employee engagement statistics show, executive teams composed of ethnically and racially diverse members generate higher earnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Workhuman)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regularly checking in on employees\u2019 progress, results and issues they face helps organizations a great deal. This practice gives managers a chance to guide workers in the right direction at the right time. Instead of employees feeling stuck and abandoned with a task, regular check-ins ensure problems are tackled by both the staff and their leaders. This system, paired with ongoing peer feedback, is among the top employee engagement and retention strategies of 89% of HR experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Workhuman)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HR managers agree that their employee-recognition programs contribute to a positive employee experience (89%), good employee relationships (86%), organizational culture (85%), employee engagement (84%), and organizational values (83%). Keeping in mind all these benefits, HR leaders recommend treating employee recognition as more than just a program. They believe it should be a management practice with a real and measurable business impact, according to Workhuman\u2019s HR and employee engagement statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As our list of job satisfaction statistics reiterates, companies do very well when their employees are happy at work. Engaged employees are likely to feel great about their job, achieve better results, have a good work-life balance, and feel appreciated. All these positive feelings they generate spill over into the company\u2019s performance, resulting in higher productivity and more revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you aren\u2019t already doing so, you should start expressing appreciation for your employees immediately. After all, they are your business\u2019s most valuable asset.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this competitive market where unemployment is low, competition is …<\/p>\n