[Global] Job satisfaction plummets to an all-time low

New research has revealed less than a quarter of employees worldwide felt satisfied with their jobs in 2023. The responses sent overall job satisfaction rates to an all-time low, HRD reports.

The Arbinger Institute's 2024 Workplace Trends report surveyed over 300 business leaders from across the world.

The 2024 report said, "Overall job satisfaction has hit an alarming low, with just 22 per cent of professionals surveyed giving their company a rating of excellence. 

“Even fewer non-supervisory employees would describe their company’s job satisfaction as excellent (13 per cent).”

According to the institute, job satisfaction matters because employees providing an excellent rating were three times more likely to be working for companies that experienced significant growth revenue increases.

Additionally, these employees were reportedly 3.5 times more likely to have a positive outlook on future success and six times more likely to report that their companies are extremely efficient.

Job satisfaction factors

More than half of the respondents (51 per cent) said work-life balance was the biggest contributor to job satisfaction, topping salary at 47 per cent. 

Other factors affecting job satisfaction included:

• Meaningful work (38 per cent)
• Recognition and appreciation (34 per cent)
• Opportunities for growth (33 per cent)
• Relationships with employees (31 per cent)
• Relationships with leaders (27 per cent)
• Feeling safe, included (20 per cent)

Ray Smith - SVP of People and Culture at the Arbinger Institute - told HRD that today's professionals want a working environment that complements their life outside work and one where they can purposefully contribute.

“We understand that work environments are swiftly evolving due to the surge in remote work and the increased emphasis on achieving work-life balance,” Mr Smith said in a statement.

"Amid these changes, many employers may grapple with the challenges of adapting and modernizing their work cultures in line with evolving expectations."

Employee wellbeing

According to the report, employers must consider wellbeing and mental health as part of the employee experience.

It found that the top factors for burnout include:

• Heavy workload (55 per cent)
• Long hours (42 per cent)
• Feeling unappreciated (36 per cent)
• Lack of recognition (32 per cent)
• Unclear expectations (30 per cent)

Respondents suggested that employers invest in the following to promote employee wellness:

• Flexible working hours (45 per cent)
• Paid mental health days off (44 per cent)
• Financial wellness (43 per cent)
• Mental health and stress management (41 per cent)
• Fitness activities (33 per cent)

"Achieving employee job satisfaction is less about managing resources and more about empowering individuals," Mitch Warner - a Managing Partner at the Arbinger Institute - said.

"When people are encouraged to bring their humanity to the workplace and they are empowered to unleash all their creative energy to do their work in way that is focused on their impact on others, the sky's the limit for what both they and the organization can accomplish."

Source: HRD

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

New research has revealed less than a quarter of employees worldwide felt satisfied with their jobs in 2023. The responses sent overall job satisfaction rates to an all-time low, HRD reports.

The Arbinger Institute's 2024 Workplace Trends report surveyed over 300 business leaders from across the world.

The 2024 report said, "Overall job satisfaction has hit an alarming low, with just 22 per cent of professionals surveyed giving their company a rating of excellence. 

“Even fewer non-supervisory employees would describe their company’s job satisfaction as excellent (13 per cent).”

According to the institute, job satisfaction matters because employees providing an excellent rating were three times more likely to be working for companies that experienced significant growth revenue increases.

Additionally, these employees were reportedly 3.5 times more likely to have a positive outlook on future success and six times more likely to report that their companies are extremely efficient.

Job satisfaction factors

More than half of the respondents (51 per cent) said work-life balance was the biggest contributor to job satisfaction, topping salary at 47 per cent. 

Other factors affecting job satisfaction included:

• Meaningful work (38 per cent)
• Recognition and appreciation (34 per cent)
• Opportunities for growth (33 per cent)
• Relationships with employees (31 per cent)
• Relationships with leaders (27 per cent)
• Feeling safe, included (20 per cent)

Ray Smith - SVP of People and Culture at the Arbinger Institute - told HRD that today's professionals want a working environment that complements their life outside work and one where they can purposefully contribute.

“We understand that work environments are swiftly evolving due to the surge in remote work and the increased emphasis on achieving work-life balance,” Mr Smith said in a statement.

"Amid these changes, many employers may grapple with the challenges of adapting and modernizing their work cultures in line with evolving expectations."

Employee wellbeing

According to the report, employers must consider wellbeing and mental health as part of the employee experience.

It found that the top factors for burnout include:

• Heavy workload (55 per cent)
• Long hours (42 per cent)
• Feeling unappreciated (36 per cent)
• Lack of recognition (32 per cent)
• Unclear expectations (30 per cent)

Respondents suggested that employers invest in the following to promote employee wellness:

• Flexible working hours (45 per cent)
• Paid mental health days off (44 per cent)
• Financial wellness (43 per cent)
• Mental health and stress management (41 per cent)
• Fitness activities (33 per cent)

"Achieving employee job satisfaction is less about managing resources and more about empowering individuals," Mitch Warner - a Managing Partner at the Arbinger Institute - said.

"When people are encouraged to bring their humanity to the workplace and they are empowered to unleash all their creative energy to do their work in way that is focused on their impact on others, the sky's the limit for what both they and the organization can accomplish."

Source: HRD

(Links and quotes via original reporting)