I once listened in to a conversation over the radio where the presenter and co-presenter discussed lightly about job satisfaction. Although as an assumption, the co-presenter casually stated that a staggering 99.9% of people were dissatisfied with their jobs. The statement may have been a perception given its lack of researched evidence, but it did get me wondering. How important is the feeling that people have towards their jobs?Well in human resource planning, employee job satisfaction is a big deal. It is big enough to influence the work output of employees as well as a force to reckon with when it comes to influencing company productivity.Lots of research has been done to get to the bottom of job dissatisfaction, and here are some of the underlying factors:1. Relationship with supervisors – this is vital to the development and retention of an employee as supervisors are responsible for mentoring new employees and ensuring they adapt well with the work environment. A happy employee will eventually bring in his ‘A’ game and if relationships run sour at the initial stages, he or she will likely not build the satisfaction that will give the momentum to stay on.
2. Recognition for job performance – Employers who do not give credit where it is due will be at risk of losing reliable and high quality employees. By giving recognition, employers spark motivation among their employees which translates to satisfaction of the service they deliver every day.
3. Lack of a professional development policy – Professional development has a motivation element to it in that employees appreciate their employer’s commitment to their development. A level of satisfaction is also felt among employees as professional training tends to rid of redundancies and changes attitudes towards work.
4. The lack of an organization’s commitment to good working conditions – Employers should make an audacious plan to ensure poor working conditions do not lead to below average performance. It is not a secret that deplorable working conditions result in physical inconveniences and disrupts both physical and mental well- being. This plainly affects attitudes and in a big way influences job dissatisfaction.
5. Lack of good compensation – This is undoubtedly the number one cause of job dissatisfaction. Whether passionate, highly skilled or at a novice level, employers work for money. Hence if an employer gets an opportunity with higher remuneration, they will definitely quit. Therefore, employers need to offer salary increments, bonuses, and even financial incentives if they expect to retain their highly skilled workforce.Driving the agenda towards attaining job satisfaction should fall in place as priority if the factors are genuine. Both employers and stakeholders have a duty to provide a good work environment as required. Alternatively, they could as well ignore and face their own peril.