People who are happy and satisfied with their jobs work harder and stay longer in a company. 

So, higher employee satisfaction increases productivity and performance. At the same time, it will decrease the turnover rate of the company, which means less investment in finding, hiring, and training new talents. 

Last week we talked about reimagining a new world. This week we want to focus on employee satisfaction. Understanding the reasons behind their behaviours, can help us make the right decisions and create a better future for our companies. 

What are the most important factors of employee satisfaction?

COMPANY CULTURE: The culture of your company is not only important to your customers but even more to your employees. 

People are not only looking for a paycheck, but they also want to work for a company that they feel shares in their values and principles. 

The actions and decisions of the company should always be aligned with these values. The company culture should be accessible to everyone and should be kept in mind when hiring new talent. 

MENTAL HEALTH: Now more than ever, we are aware of the importance of mental health in companies. 

Statistics show how much people value a supportive mental wellbeing policy in a company. Over 50% would take it into consideration when changing jobs. 

WORK-LIFE BALANCE: There are a number of people who, due to current circumstances, feel more stressed at work, and are finding it difficult to have a good work-life balance. 

Flexible hours, remote working, and organising workload properly are significant factors that can heavily influence employee satisfaction, if managed and maintained correctly.

PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Most people want to work for a company where they have opportunities to grow, not only professionally but also personally. 

Learning new skills, interacting with different people, and gaining knowledge can impact how people feel about their jobs. 

TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST: Both interconnected and equally important. To create a place where people feel confident and capable of being ‘them’. Transparency is essential in order for this to be developed and to remain meaningful. 

But what is trust and how can it be demonstrated and delivered? Trust can be seen from different perspectives and here are some examples:

• Trusting employees to solve problems. Assign them projects and let them come up with their own solutions shows them you trust their abilities and skills. 
• Create a place where people feel confident to admit a mistake or to admit they don’t know something. 
• Safe space where people can talk about personal problems and emotions that can affect their mental health. 

What can you do to improve employee satisfaction as a leader?

Communication is key: One of the most important skills of a leader is his/her communication skills. Communication is a two-way street, not only is it important to talk, but equally important is to listen. Employees who felt like their voices were being heard were 4.6x more likely to do their best work 

How good communication can impact a company:

Motivation: knowing the people in your team, it is easier to understand their motivations, aspirations, and goals. Also, you will be aware of their needs. Without communication, this becomes a gambling game.

Once you understand their motivation, it is easier to assign tasks, create effective teams, organise systems, and processes that allow people to play to their strengths. 

Mental Health: coming back to an important issue. Communication is a must if you want to know what people are feeling and find any signs of mental health issues, such as depression. 

Feedback: As a leader, you can’t spend the day telling people what to do, but it is essential you give them feedback and help them if in need. To be able to offer help and feedback, there must first exist a great level of communication between all parties. 

Value and Appreciation: We talked already in a previous post, about the importance of feeling valued and appreciated. A simple “thank you” goes a long way. Feeling appreciated is one of the biggest reasons for people to change jobs. Statistics show one in four people are looking for a new job because they don’t feel valued.

At Optimist Performance, we inspire world-class values in team-building, leadership skills, and personal development, helping businesses build a culture to succeed. 

Having a great team that feels happy, motivated, and satisfied with their jobs and company is essential to produce great results. Although sometimes can be tricky, we are here to help. 

Get in touch with us for a free consultation about our transformative talks, workshops, and 1-1 coaching sessions and become the change that you want to see in the world. 

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