Employee Satisfaction in the Workplace

In the workplace today management is not only responsible for the bottom line, they are also directly responsible for the way they feel and their ultimate happiness. Employee satisfaction is the terminology used to describe whether employees are happy, content, and fulfilled concerning their desires and needs at work. Many measures purpose that employee satisfaction is a factor in employee motivation, employee goal achievement, and positive employee morale in the workplace. (Heathfield, 2011). Today employee satisfaction is also an important ingredient for financial success. "Nowadays companies are producing more high-quality products. They are focusing on innovation and looking for the value-added to come from workers rather than machines." Since key outputs, such as teamwork, building client relationships and idea generation, are difficult to measure, motivating workers by paying by the piece is less effective. This leads to the increasing importance of employee satisfaction as a motivational tool. Pleasant working conditions can lead to employees identifying with the firm, and thus exerting more effort than the minimum required by the employment contract. Moreover, it can be a powerful method of retaining key employees. (Knowledge@Wharton, 2008). This paper will discuss several causes of employee dissatisfaction and give recommendations for companies to increase satisfaction.
In a recent study, it was noted that in most companies nationwide, 33% of employees were very satisfied with their jobs, 33% were satisfied, 10% were dissatisfied, 14% were very dissatisfied, and 10% were neither satisfied or dissatisfied. This study alone indicates that there

is much room to focus on employees. If a company is not careful, the satisfied or very satisfied employee could shift into one of the dissatisfied groups. This would lead to even more problems down the line. Employee satisfaction is essential to the success of any business. A high rate of employee

References: Branham (2005). The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It 's Too Late. In L. Branham. New York: Amacon Books. Gregory, K. (2009, November 28). The Importance of Employee Satisfaction. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from Nueman University Online: http://www.neumann.edu/academics/divisions/business/journal/Review2011/Gregory.pdf Heathfield, S. M. (2011). Employee Satisfaction. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from About.com: http://humanresources.about.com/od/employeesurvey1/g/employee_satisfy.htm Heathfield, S. M. (2011). Work-Life Balance. Retrieved June 21, 2011, from About.com: http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryw/g/balance.htm Knowledge@Wharton. (2008, January 9). How Investing in Intangibles -- Like Employee Satisfaction -- Translates into Financial Returns. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from Knowledge@Wharton: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1873 SHRM. (2011, March 4). Survey: Salary Is Top Cause of Dissatisfaction for U.S. Employees. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from SHRM.org: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/compensation/Articles/Pages/Dissatisfaction.aspx The Corporate Executive Board. (2009, March 27). The Increasing Call for Work-Life Balance. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from Bloombery.com: http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/mar2009/ca20090327_734197.htm