Are Your Employees Satisfied?

You hear the term “job satisfaction” a lot these days – and it’s a term that’s somewhat abstract and isn’t easily quantifiable through standard metrics. Nonetheless, having satisfied employees is more important than you may think and can be the key to long-term business success and longevity. Let’s discuss what job satisfaction means and the benefits of having a team of satisfied employees.

What is Job Satisfaction?

According to the Business Dictionary, job satisfaction is formally defined as “contentment (or lack of it) arising out of interplay of an employee’s positive and negative feelings toward his or her work.” Simply put, it’s a term that’s used to describe an employee’s overall attitude toward their job.

While it’s obvious that having satisfied employees tends to make for a happier workplace with high morale, there are some definitive benefits that you’ll want to be aware of and that should inspire you to make job satisfaction a priority.

Reduced Turnover

Employee turnover is a killer for businesses in many industries. Not only does it cost money to replace employees who leave, it also costs money to train new ones. On top of this, turnover can wreak havoc on team chemistry. But when you have satisfied employees, they’re much more likely to hang around for the long haul – and many will become long term fixtures in your company.

Lower Absenteeism

When your employees are genuinely happy with their jobs and don’t dread going to work, it’s almost guaranteed that your absenteeism rate will decline. This is beneficial because it reduces your headaches and lowers stress on other employees who may have to pick up the slack when others are out.

Better Customer/Client Experience

If your staff has a lot of contact with customers or clients, you’ll want to be especially diligent about ensuring job satisfaction. That’s because there’s usually a correlation between happy employees and better customer service. This totally makes sense when you consider the fact that happy employees tend to have higher morale, are friendlier toward customers and willing to go the extra mile in their customer service efforts.

Increased Profitability

Perhaps most important of all is the spike in revenue that often comes along with employee satisfaction. In fact, a 2008 poll from Gallup “found that retail stores with happy employees reported $21 more earnings per square foot than “normal” workplaces, adding up to extra profits of $32 million for the entire chain.”

When you combine the aforementioned benefits as well as others like increased productivity, better employee analytical abilities and higher levels of creativity, it means one thing – higher profit margins, which should pique the interest of any business.

As an employer, you’ll definitely want to examine what the current state of your employees’ job satisfaction is like. If it’s not where you want it to be, it’s wise to do everything within your power to remedy the situation and keep your employees happy.

For more on creating a positive working atmosphere and getting the most from your employees, check out our blog or contact our experienced recruiting professionals at Encadria Staffing Solutions today!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.