Dive Brief:
- While factors such as pay and job security matter, other variables including trust, open communication, professional development and company reputation play an increasingly important role in influencing employee satisfaction and commitment to the workplace, according to a new report.
- Apart from those key issues, Ultimate Software's 2016 National Study on Satisfaction at Work also found that the relationship between trust and satisfaction is critical, as the vast majority (93%) of employees said trust in their direct manager is important to remain satisfied at work.
- Among other key findings from the poll of 1,000 U.S. workers across generations and in all industries, 85% said they were likely to stay longer with an employer that showed a high level of social responsibility, such as supporting charitable causes and community volunteering. Also, nearly one out of three employees said they would look elsewhere if the technology at work is outdated.
Dive Insight:
The study underscores that how HR and employers treat their employees in America today is more important to employee engagement and by extension, retention, than ever before. The study also emphasizes that employer reputation matters, because it's becoming more and more critical in attracting and retaining talented people.
The trust findings are especially interesting, as HR leaders should understand that focusing leadership training and development on higher levels of the organization (rising executives, VPs and senior-level directors) — rather than line managers and supervisors who have a greater impact on employee satisfaction and retention — is probably a mistake. The feedback, at least in this study, reveals that it is equally important to invest in developing great managers and supervisors at all levels of the organization.
