5 July 2010
Job satisfaction rises, while engagement dips for UK employees
Job satisfaction may be on the rise, but employers are warned this could signal low expectations among employees, as a sense of belonging and pride towards their organizations has plummeted for UK workers.
Levels of job satisfaction have risen among UK employees, compared to previous years, despite the recession.
Results from the Putting it in Perspective study 2009, which charts the opinions of more than 350 UK-based employees, found that 73 percent said they were satisfied with their current job – an increase of 2 percent from 2008, and 75 percent said they intended to stay – up 4 percent.
Lacking engagement
But although the majority of employees intend to stay put, only 49 percent report feeling a sense of belonging to their organization – a drop of 10 percent from the previous year.
Organizational pride has also decreased, with only 68 percent of employees feeling pride toward their company, compared to 70 percent in 2008. The study also revealed employees feel less able to contribute their views before changes are made, and less confident about speaking up to challenge decisions and the way things are done – only 44 percent of employees felt able to do this in 2009, compared to 50 percent in 2008.
73 percent of UK employees feel more satisfied with their jobs than in 2008
Kate Pritchard, director of employee research at Infogroup/ORC International, says these figures should set off alarm bells for employers looking to get the best from a well motivated and engaged workforce over the coming months.
“Although we have seen an increase in employee satisfaction, this does not give us a whole picture in terms of employee engagement and doesn’t necessarily imply a strong relationship with the organization. Increased satisfaction could be an indication that employees have lower expectations, or are showing increased tolerance of tough economic conditions,” says Pritchard.
She adds: “Only 51 percent of employees said they felt secure in their jobs in 2009, compared with 59 percent in 2008. So while employees may intend to stay, it’s difficult to build a sense of belonging if you feel your job is at risk.”
Employers may not be able to immediately improve job security, but they’ll need to get to grips with the diverse factors driving employee engagement within their organization, warns Pritchard. “If employers can understand these factors, they’ll be in a good position to maintain and improve employee engagement as the economy improves, and employee expectations start to rise again.”
Have your say
How connected do employees feel to your organization? What engagement tools is your organization using to motivate employees? Have any incentives been put in place to increase employee retention?
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Essential techniques for employee engagement
OPINION: Take the journey to find the magic pill to engagement
Q&A: What s the best way to change an apathy culture?
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