Job Satisfaction

According to a 2014 survey of U.S. households by the Conference Board, job dissatisfaction is widespread among
workers of all ages across all income brackets. The study found that only 47% of those surveyed say they are satisfied
with their jobs.
With worker dissatisfaction so high, how can you avoid it? Or, if you are working and dissatisfied, what can you do about
it?
First, it is important to know that there are different kinds of job satisfaction. The surveys just described
investigated overall job satisfaction. This is when a person considers the whole job and everything about it. Overall job
satisfaction is actually a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction:

Intrinsic job satisfaction is when workers consider only the kind of work they do, the tasks that make up the job.

Extrinsic job satisfaction is when workers consider the conditions of work, such as their pay, coworkers, and
supervisor.

These two types of satisfaction are different, and it helps to look at jobs from both points of view. For example, if you are
dissatisfied with your current job, ask yourself, "To what extent is it due to the kind of work I am doing?" and "To what
extent is it due to the conditions of my work?" If it is primarily the kind of work you are doing, it is intrinsic job
dissatisfaction. This calls for a different solution, than if your dissatisfaction is extrinsic in nature.
And, second, you want to recognize that job satisfaction is influenced by job expectations -- what people look for or
require from a job such as job security, pay, prestige, or independence. And, that some people have higher expectations
for work than others. What expectations do you have for your work? How strong are they? Click here to read the ten job
expectations that workers mention most frequently.
What can you do to maximize your job satisfaction? Based on research and the experience of professional career
specialists, here are eight recommendations:
1. Know yourself. Know what is important to you and what is not. What kinds of work tasks or activities are
attractive to you? Be clear about what you expect from or require of a job. Write your ideas down. Then, you will
know what to look for when choosing among jobs or careers.
Review the "ten job expectations" most frequently mentioned by workers and rank their importance to you. Are
there others, not mentioned, like autonomy or prestige, that are important to you?
Also, do the activities listed in Learning More about Yourself that you think will be most helpful.

2. Learn about jobs that are most likely to meet your expectations. A helpful step is to take The Career
Key test. It will help you identify occupations that fit your personality and to get accurate information about each
of them. The activities in Learn about the Jobs that Interest Me are highly recommended.
3. Consider consulting a professional career counselor. Click here for more.
4. Do not allow your job dissatisfactions to go unresolved for long. Job satisfactions and dissatisfactions are
barometers of your adjustment to work. They may lead to something worse -- job loss, accidents, even mental
illness. Depression, anxiety, worry, tension, and interpersonal problems can result from, or be made worse by job
dissatisfaction. In fact, job satisfaction was found to be the best predictor of how long you live . . . better than a
doctor's rating of physical functioning, use of tobacco, or genetic inheritance. So, it is important to work out a
solution if your job is making you unhappy.
5. Have realistic expectations for work. Overall job satisfaction is a trade-off (like many things in life). You should
not expect 100% satisfaction or 0% dissatisfaction. There are usually dissatisfactions even in the best jobs. And,
in today's work world you cannot expect your company to look out for you; you have to take the initiative yourself
(see Free Agent Worker for more).
6. Look separately at the kind of work you are doing versus the conditions of work (pay, supervisor,
coworkers, company, physical working conditions). If you are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the kind of
work you are doing, you should consider a career change. If you are dissatisfied with the conditions of work, you
might be able to set matters right by negotiating with your supervisor or your coworkers, or by changing
companies.
7. Look down the road at your possible career progress. Present dissatisfactions might be worth bearing if you
see your career progressing.
8. Examine your values -- what is most important to you. You have to answer this question honestly: How
important is your job, your career to you? Only when this question is answered can you put your job satisfaction or
dissatisfaction in proper perspective.
This was adapted and updated from an earlier article by Dr. Rene Dawis, with his permission: Dawis, R. V. (1992). Job
satisfaction. In L. K. Jones (Ed.), Encyclopedia of career change and work issues (pp. 142-143). Phoenix: The Oryx
Press. Dr. Dawis is the author or coauthor of more than 100 publications, and is an international authority on job
satisfaction and work adjustment.
http://www.careerkey.org/choose-a-career/job-satisfaction.html#.VN62xeaUci4
1.
2.
3.

Small Business >

Managing Employees >
Jobs
Job Satisfaction & Motivation Benefits the Workplace
by George N. Root III, Demand Media
Motivated and satisfied employees have benefits to employers.

Related Articles
Job Satisfaction and Work Motivation Factors for Blue-Collar Employees
Dimensions of Job Satisfaction
The Job Characteristics and Theories of Job Satisfaction
Links Between Motivation & Job Satisfaction
What Are the Causes of Job Satisfaction in the Workplace?
How to Wipe the Data & Cache on an Android

Employers are faced with the task of motivating employees and creating high job satisfaction among their
staff. Creating programs and policies that develop job satisfaction and serve to motivate employees takes
time and money to create. When the employer understands the benefits of job satisfaction and motivation
in the workplace, though, the investment in employee-related policies can be justified.
Ads by Google
Employee Happiness
#1 tool to drive employee happiness into your organisation.
happynow.fi
Job Duties
Employees who are satisfied with their jobs and motivated by the company to succeed will also work to
create more efficient job processes. Managers should meet at least monthly with employees to discuss the
efficiency of their job duties and how they can be improved to increase productivity. The company that sets
out to create a satisfying workplace will be privy to feedback from employees who would like to increase
the level of job satisfaction they experience, resulting in open communication between management
personnel and workers. Employees will want to maintain that satisfying work environment, and they will
regularly supply opinions and feedback that they feel is necessary to preserve the positive workplace
atmosphere.
Volunteering
When staff members are unmotivated and dissatisfied with their jobs, they tend to not pursue additional
tasks that may help the company succeed. For example, dissatisfied employees will generally not offer to
volunteer for committees that plan the annual company picnic or help move departments from one part of
the office to another. When the company creates an atmosphere of job satisfaction and properly motivates
employees, it can be easier to find volunteers to complete outside projects that are necessary for
improving company morale or the operation of the organization.
Related Reading: What Are the Causes of Job Satisfaction in the Workplace?
Customer Service
Job satisfaction among the entire staff creates a positive experience for customers as well. Motivated
warehouse employees work harder to speed up order fulfillment while maintaining accuracy, building
maintenance workers keep the office clean and operational, and product repair personnel take it upon
themselves to address customer concerns directly rather than funneling the customer through a sales or
service associate.
Patience
One of the benefits to a company that has a motivated and satisfied staff is patience. When a new policy is
put into effect or major changes are made to the way the company does business, the entire company is
affected. Employees who are satisfied in their jobs are more apt to offer suggestions to make a transition
smoother than disgruntled employees. Additionally, as changes are made, motivated employees work as a
team to implement those changes as quickly and efficiently as possible.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/job-satisfaction-motivation-benefits-workplace-10205.html
10 Psychological Keys to Job Satisfaction

359
inShare
Do you get a pleasant satisfied feeling after a hard day at work?
If some job satisfaction surveys are to be believed then as many as a third of us are considering a change of job. Clearly
many are finding it hard to get that feeling of satisfaction from work.

Job satisfaction is important not just because it boosts work performance but also because it increases our quality of life.
Many people spend so much time at work that when it becomes dissatisfying, the rest of their life soon follows.

Everyones job is different but here are 10 factors that psychologists regularly find are important in how satisfied people
are with their jobs.
1. Little hassles
If you ask doctors what is the worst part of their jobs, what do you think they say? Carrying out difficult, painful
procedures? Telling people theyve only got months to live? No, its something that might seem much less stressful:
administration.

We tend to downplay day-to-day irritations, thinking weve got bigger fish to fry. But actually peoples job satisfaction is
surprisingly sensitive to daily hassles. It might not seem like much but when it happens almost every day and its beyond
our control, it hits job satisfaction hard.

This category is one of the easiest wins for boosting employee satisfaction. Managers should find out about those little
daily hassles and address themyour employees will love you for it.
2. Perception of fair pay
Whatever your job, for you to be satisfied the pay should be fair. The bigger the difference between what you think you
should earn and what you do earn, the less satisfied youll be.

The important point here is its all about perception. If you perceive that other people doing a similar job get paid about the
same as you then youre more likely to be satisfied with your job than if you think theyre getting more than you.
3. Achievement

People feel more satisfied with their job if theyve achieved something. In some jobs achievements are obvious, but for
others theyre not. As smaller cogs in larger machines it may be difficult to tell what were contributing. Thats why the next
factor can be so important
4. Feedback
Theres nothing worse than not knowing whether or not youre doing a good job. When it comes to job satisfaction, no
news is bad news. Getting negative feedback can be painful but at least it tells you where improvements can be made. On
the other hand positive feedback can make all the difference to how satisfied people feel.
5. Complexity and variety
People generally find jobs more satisfying if they are more complex and offer more variety. People seem to like complex
(but not impossible) jobs, perhaps because it pushes them more. Too easy and people get bored.

To be satisfied people need to be challenged a little and they need some variety in the tasks they carry out. It sounds easy
when put like that but many jobs offer neither complexity nor variety.
6. Control
You may have certain tasks you have to do, but how you do them should be up to you. The more control people perceive
in how they carry out their job, the more satisfaction they experience.
If people arent given some control, they will attempt to retake it by cutting corners, stealing small amounts or finding other
ways to undermine the system. Psychologists have found that people who work in jobs where they have little latitudeat
every levelfind their work very stressful and consequently unsatisfying.
7. Organisational support
Workers want to know their organisation cares about them: that they are getting something back for what they are putting
in. This is primarily communicated through things like how bosses treat us, the kinds of fringe benefits we get and other
subtle messages. If people perceive more organisational support, they experience higher job satisfaction.

Remember: its not just whether the organisation is actually being supportive, its whether it appears that way. The point
being that appearances are really important here. If people dont perceive it, then for them it might as well not exist. Thats
why great managers need a politicians touch.
8. Work-home overflow
Low job satisfaction isnt only the boss or organisations fault, sometimes its down to home-life. Trouble at home breeds
trouble at the office.

Some research, though, suggests that trouble at the office is more likely to spill over into the family domain compared with
the other way around (Ford et al., 2007). Either way finding ways of distancing yourself from work while at home are likely
to protect you against job stressors (Sonnentag et al., 2010).
9. Honeymoons and hangovers
Job honeymoons and hangovers are often forgotten by psychologists but well-known to employees. People experience
honeymoon periods after a month or two in a new job when their satisfaction shoots up. But then it normally begins to tail
off after six months or so.

The honeymoon period at the start of a new job tends to be stronger when people were particularly dissatisfied with their
previous job (Boswell et al., 2009). So hangovers from the last job tend to produce more intense honeymoons in the next
job.
10. Easily pleased?
Some of us are more easily satisfied (or dissatisfied) than others, no matter how good (or bad) the job is. To misquote a
famous clich: You cant satisfy all the people all the time.

Still, some jobs do seem better suited to certain types of people. A lot of work has been done on person-environment fit
but because jobs vary so much its difficult to summarise.

One generalisation we can make, though, is that people get more satisfied with their jobs as they get older. Perhaps this is
because the older people are, the more likely they are to have found the right work for them. Theres little evidence for this
but Id certainly like to think it was true.

On my darker days, though, I tend to think its because young people have sky-high expectations (which are soon dashed)
and older people have learned to live with their lot, however uninspiring it is.
Why cant we all be satisfied?
When you look at this list of what makes for a satisfying job, you might wonder why everyone cant have one. With a little
thought, most of the predictors of satisfaction can be provided.

The answer is probably quite simple. Organisations pay lip-service to keeping their employees satisfied, but many dont
really believe it makes a difference. What this research shows is that it can make a huge difference.

If youre a manager looking to improve satisfaction at your workplace then start with point number 1: find out about
peoples little hassles and address them. It might not look like much but people will really appreciate it.