Job satisfaction for employees is one thing any serious business owner shouldn’t neglect but rather improve.
If you’re not sure how to improve employee satisfaction in your organization, you’ll find this post very helpful.
Here you’ll discover effective guidelines to improving employee satisfaction in your organization.
As a result, ensuring maximum productivity and efficiency on the job.
Let’s get right to it.
How To Improve Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction is very integral to the level of commitment your employees have to your organization.
It can affect their attitude towards work, and ultimately what they can accomplish in their assigned roles(s).
Additionally, how satisfied your employees are with their job would also determine how long they will stay with you.
As an experienced business owner, you would agree that replacing employees too often is not good for business.
It can upset your customer base and also affect the unity/understanding between your employees.
How about the impact it would also have on your brand reputation in the industry?
Despite the increased rate of unemployment in many countries, organizations are still searching for the best talents.
Failure to provide job satisfaction for your most valued employees would only make them seek opportunities elsewhere.
Before you know it, you could be losing talented employees to your competitors due to employee dissatisfaction.
These are just some of the demerits of a lack of employee satisfaction on the job.
As we go on, we will share more on this and other benefits of improving employee satisfaction.
But first, let’s get a clear understanding of what employee satisfaction really means.
What is Employee Satisfaction?
Employee satisfaction describes how contented, satisfied, and happy an employee is on the job.
This satisfaction cuts across many areas of the job.
It might be contentment and satisfaction with the scope of work and type of job they do.
Satisfaction in the workplace can also be linked to the general employee’s experience, especially relationships with other employees and the management.
Therefore, an employee is said to have a high level of satisfaction if they are pleased and contented with their job and job management.
When your employees are satisfied with their jobs, they do not go around looking for every slightest opportunity to change employment.
This is why you should be careful not to confuse job satisfaction with employee engagement or empowerment.
Engaging employees is one way to improve job satisfaction, but they are not the same.
Employee engagement can undoubtedly help your organization in the area of productivity and work output.
However, it doesn’t necessarily increase or improve job satisfaction.
Engaged employees might still be looking for other job opportunities while they are with you.
On the other hand, job satisfaction gives a high level of contentment which breeds loyalty and trust in your organization.
And this, in turn, will foster employee retention.
However, as you read on, you will find how these two management skills are interrelated and how you can make them work together for you and your employees.
Before then, though, see why it is essential for a business owner to improve employee satisfaction.
Why it’s Important to Improve Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction offers a lot of benefits and importance to your organization and for the employees themselves.
Therefore, it’s an employee management skill you should definitely improve as a business owner.
Here are some reasons why improving employee satisfaction is very important:
It Improves your Employee Retention Rate and Reduces Employee Turnover
Many employees reveal that the major reason they leave their jobs is that it doesn’t give them the satisfaction they desire.
When you have employees who are satisfied with their job, they are contented and are more likely to stay with your organization.
Because of this, your employee voluntary turnover rate will reduce, and your retention rate will increase.
This stability is something your business really needs.
What’s more?
It Increases Productivity and Job Output
One thing about employee satisfaction is that it comes with a corresponding boost in passion and commitment to work.
Contrary to the lack of interest that dissatisfied employees have toward work, satisfied employees are very active.
More so, this high level of commitment and hard work will proportionately increase productivity and work output.
That means your employees can deliver more results with the available resources.
It Reduces Absenteeism from Work
Another benefit that comes with improved employee satisfaction is regular attendance at work and being punctual.
When you are doing what you love and your workplace and employer, you look forward to working every day.
Most times, employees stay away from work and miss many days, giving flimsy excuses simply because the work is not motivating them.
On the contrary, if your employees are motivated and satisfied with their job, they will be very interested in resuming work daily.
Therefore, employee satisfaction can go a long way in reducing employee absenteeism and increase attendance levels.
It Improves Employees’ Engagement
Employee engagement is a measure of how well your employees are motivated and committed to the work they do.
Engaged employees are great volunteers and big team players.
They are always willing to make themselves available to handle responsibilities that come up in the workplace.
Before your employees get to top engagement levels, employee satisfaction must be there.
If your employees are not satisfied with their job and with you as the employer, they are most likely not be actively involved and engaged.
Increases the Possibility of Attracting the Best Talent
Higher employee turnover rates are a big minus for organizations looking to attract the best talents in the industry to work for them.
When your company is known for losing employees constantly, no one will want to work with you.
There would be this general notion that there is a reason you are struggling to retain employees, and the reason cannot be favorable.
Hence, the need to stay far away from your organization.
On the other hand, when your firm has a reputation for keeping employees for a long period of time, it’s a positive sign.
It shows that you are doing something right, and they will want to work with you and for you.
Higher Sales, Lower Costs and Increased Profits
Having established that employee satisfaction generally makes your employees work hard and stay committed, it is only right to increase sales.
Satisfied employees are happy employees, and happy employees can sell products and services to customers more.
Also, because you do not have to invest in hiring new staff now and then, it can equally reduce your expenditures.
And of course, when you have higher sales and reduced expenditures, that can only mean one thing.
Your profits too will increase.
It Improves Customer Service and Customer Retention
If your employees are satisfied, they are in a better position to serve our customers satisfactorily.
With job satisfaction comes a great level of responsibility and the joy to assist others and make customers happy.
Therefore, when you improve your employees’ satisfaction, you can get great customer service from them.
Great customer service, in turn, would lead to customer retention, as your customers would love to do business with you.
Who wouldn’t actually? When the employees are happy, and it shows.
Factors Affecting Employees Satisfaction Negatively
When your employees have a challenge with attaining optimum job satisfaction, certain factors are responsible.
Knowing these factors will help you know what to do in improving employee satisfaction around your workplace.
Consider some of these factors:
Lack Of Job Security
One factor that might negatively affect an employee’s job satisfaction is a lack of security on the job.
Many employers are fond of throwing around sack threats at their employees.
They have the misplaced confidence that no employee is indispensable and that whatever happens, they will be fine without them.
When employees know that the employer is just waiting on the slightest opportunity to let them go, it is hard to attain satisfaction in that organization.
Those employees are most likely going to be looking for a way out of the company before getting thrown out.
Poor Relationship with Co-Workers and Management
Another reason why some employees find it hard to get satisfaction where they work is because of their relationship with their colleagues.
Besides what they earn, the best employees hold interpersonal relationships of great importance to their stability in an organization.
Sadly though, there are lots of organizations where there is a poor relationship among the employees.
This frustrates the staff and can dampen the zeal, passion, and motivation of individual employees.
In a similar vein, it could also be that there is no cordial relationship between the employee and those in management positions.
This, too, can make retaining employees difficult as they cannot get the satisfaction they want from their jobs.
Financial Instability
The financial instability of an organization also affects the employees’ satisfaction.
Sometimes, employees find themselves working in organizations where there is no stable financial strength.
The company might be recording good financial power this fiscal year and running at debt the next year.
Every employee wants a stable income as it offers a sense of security.
Therefore, if your organization cannot offer this stability, it would be hard to maintain job satisfaction.
Lack of Appreciation and Recognition
Another factor identified as a reason why employees might not find job satisfaction is a lack of appreciation.
Like every human, your employees want to feel valued, and they also want to know that their input in the organization is appreciated.
They do not just want to work and be paid at the end of the month, but they want to be recognized for their hard work and contributions.
However, in an organization where employees are not appreciated regardless of how well they do, employee satisfaction will be far-fetched.
No Personal and Career Growth
Personal growth and professional growth are a big deal for the best and most talented employees.
That is why when they are out looking for organizations to work with, the company’s culture is important to them.
The average employee is ambitious and has big plans on what and where they want to be in the near and far future.
They will not get satisfaction in your organization if your culture, management style, and policies stunt their growth.
Poor Communication/Feedback from Management
Many employees have also admitted feeling less satisfied with their job due to poor communication and feedback from the employer(s).
Employees cherish feedback, whether positive or negative.
If they are not meeting up to standards or expectations, they do not want to be left without a clue.
Rather, they want their managers to talk to them about it.
They also appreciate when the managers’ doors and ears are always open to listen to them when they have something to contribute.
When this communication is non-existent or very poor, it fosters job dissatisfaction.
Lack of Creativity and Innovation
Your employees can also feel dissatisfied with their job when there is no new things or creativity in the workplace.
When an employee has to come to work every day and perform the same routine tasks, it might get redundant.
This redundancy, in turn, can dampen the spirits of your employees and make them unhappy.
And of course, unhappy employees cannot get satisfaction.
Rigid Work Schedule and Policies
Are you a domineering and autocratic leader?
Do you have very rigid rules and regulations, policies, and a work environment?
Or are you known for being flexible regarding working conditions, work schedules, and other related matters?
If your organization’s policies are too rigid and you do not consider your employees’ feelings, it can also make them dissatisfied.
Micromanaging Employees
Employees love it when you trust them and have confidence in them.
Such trust and confidence levels can be demonstrated when you assign them responsibilities and let them handle these.
Micromanaging employees by scrutinizing their every move, action, and decision in their line of work doesn’t help.
This is especially even more important if these employees have been with you for many years.
It shows a lack of trust and can make them dissatisfied.
How to Improve Employee Satisfaction – What you Should Do
Satisfied employees are valuable assets to every organization and establishment.
This is because satisfied employees are always at their peak performance in any organization.
Every decision you make and the efforts you put into employee management are driven towards this point of employee satisfaction.
That is why you need to dedicate your efforts and those of your team to achieve this feat.
Here are ten ways you can improve employee satisfaction for your business starting today:
Offer Job Stability and Security
One way you can improve your employees’ satisfaction is by offering them job security and stability.
Some organizations make the mistake of giving employment to people without a binding contract.
This they do so that they can decide to fire these employees whenever they deem fit.
However, this is a huge mistake.
When your employees do not feel that their job is secured and stable, they will be unmotivated.
Additionally, they will not gain job satisfaction.
The chances are these employees are already looking for other job opportunities, and it’s only a matter of time before you lose them.
Build a Stainless Reputation of Employee Retention
In addition to giving employees job security, it is also important that you have a reputation for employee retention.
Sometimes, it is not the job security you offer the employee.
Rather, it is what they observe as the trend with your company.
If your company is known for firing employees, it gives your business a bad reputation.
On the other hand, when you can maintain a flawless record for retaining employees and good working conditions, people will want to work with your company.
It would also promote job satisfaction in the organization.
Appreciate, Recognize and Reward your Employees
Another thing you can do to improve your employee satisfaction is by being generous with your appreciation.
Even the ones you consider the worst among your employees usually have areas they are doing great or times they do well.
Instead of just noting this in your mind, it would be beneficial to let them know this.
Sometimes, a simple word or statement of appreciation would go a long way.
Additionally, you also want to offer rewards for excellent work.
Different organizations have different methods they use to reward their exceptional employees.
These might include bonuses, commissions, time off work, e.t.c.
You would need to decide which of these rewards would best suit individual employees.
However, the bottom line is that appreciating, recognizing, and rewarding employees go a long way in helping them achieve satisfaction.
Place Employees in the Right Departments
If you are fond of fitting your employees into roles they are not familiar with or not good at, you might be doing more harm than good.
Especially to employees’ job satisfaction.
Each of your employees has unique talents, abilities, and even qualifications.
When you try to force them into a “hole” in which they do not fit in, they will get frustrated as they cannot achieve good results.
On the other hand, you should study your employees carefully and know their strengths and weaknesses.
Once you’ve ascertained this, you can then fit them in the proper positions where they can give their best.
When your employees come to work every day doing what they love, they are happy and satisfied.
Also, when they can get results from their efforts because they know what they are doing, they are satisfied.
Take Personal Interest in Individual Employees
In a bid to improve employee satisfaction, you must take a personal interest in them as individuals.
Effective employee management isn’t just about managing the team as a whole but understanding that there are unique differences.
Some employees are fast learners, and others aren’t really that fast.
Also, they have peculiar qualities, abilities, and even problems/anxieties.
If you apply the same method in the management of everybody, you might be missing out on providing real help to your employees.
Take a personal interest in each of them, and have a regular face-to-face discussion with each individual.
Endeavor to familiarize yourself with their challenges and whatever problems they are going through, as much as they are willing to share.
When you do this, you will be able to help your employees attain job satisfaction properly.
Trust Employees; Don’t Micromanage Them.
Employees appreciate it when the organization they work for trusts them as individuals and trusts their abilities and capabilities.
Micromanaging employees is a sign that you do not trust them enough to get results.
You micromanage your employees when you want to be at the top and center of everything they do.
When you assign tasks and give them responsibilities, you still breathe down their necks and scrutinize all they do.
This attitude can discourage employees.
It also weakens their morale, especially when they’ve been with you for a long time.
Learning to trust your employees more and allowing them the free hand to do what you ask them to do will increase their confidence levels.
In addition, it would also improve job satisfaction.
Pay Them Well, and On-Time
While we can all agree that money isn’t and shouldn’t be the primary motivation or factor for job satisfaction, it is still important.
This is because, at the end of the day, the main reason we work is to earn money to take care of ourselves and our family.
Underpaying your employees can also make them feel dissatisfied with their jobs.
This is not because they don’t like your organization.
Instead, it’s because they feel they are not getting the equivalent worth of what they do.
Additionally, making it a habit to delay employees’ payments can also affect their satisfaction levels.
Therefore, make it a goal to offer salary rates commensurate to the quality of work done and valued-added to your organization.
More so, be sure to pay on time, according to your agreement with the employee.
Create A Flexible Working Condition
Flexible working conditions for your employees also improve job satisfaction.
It makes them feel valued and that their feelings/personal life matter.
Flexible working conditions would involve making the work schedule flexible and allowing them time for other activities outside work.
Your employees need a work-life balance to stay motivated, active, and happy.
This would eventually contribute to their job satisfaction.
Engage your Employees
Employee engagement is another way in which you can improve your employees’ satisfaction.
You engage your employees when you give them the feeling that their voices and opinions matter.
Also, you do this by giving employees added responsibilities and allowing them to feel like an integral part of your organization.
Thereby improving employee job satisfaction in your organization.
This is because they are working not just because of the money, but they already feel the business is also theirs.
Provide Opportunities and Support for Employees’ Growth
An employee who doesn’t feel they are growing in the workplace will not feel accomplished nor satisfied.
As professionals, they are really concerned about their personal growth, and it is something they desire.
Therefore, you as the business owner or manager should always give ample opportunities for their growth and development.
This would include supporting them to run a program or course to help them get better or provide training for them.
You can also support employees’ growth in the organization by not keeping them in a position for a very long time.
Instead, afford them the opportunity of getting promotions and climbing up the ladder of success.
When you do this, your employees are happy and fulfilled, and of course, they are satisfied.
Conclusion on How to Improve Employee Satisfaction
Every successful business will tell you that the secret to success is having the right people to work for you.
It’s not just about having the right staff.
Instead, it is about keeping them long enough to build the framework for lasting success.
As a business owner concerned about running a successful business, you should prioritize your employees’ satisfaction on the job.
This would attract numerous benefits for your business.
