If you think throwing a few more dollars into your employee’s paychecks is going to make a difference in their happiness levels, think again. According to the SHRM 2011 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Survey Report, workers want much more than the shirt off your back. Here are the top four contributors to job satisfaction in 2011.
1. Job Security
2. Opportunities to Use Skills and Abilities
3. Organization’s Financial Stability & Relationship with Immediate Supervisor (tied)
No where do you see the word money. It’s interesting to note that new to the list this year is the relationship with immediate supervisor.
Now that you have this information, what are you going to do with it? I suggest you begin by increasing communication throughout the organization. People become insecure about their jobs when they don’t have enough information. The saying, “no news is good news” doesn’t apply to one’s job. The next step would be to dig down deeper to find out more about the hidden skills and abilities of those in your employ. Some times things are not as they appear. Here’s what I mean by this. Early on in my career I worked as a temp for a cellular phone company. Of course, because I was a temp, it was assumed that my abilities were as limited as the length of my assignment. My boss would tip toe around me and would hesitate to give me assignments that required more than a high school degree. Imagine his surprise when I informed him that it was okay to give me more challenging work, as I had an MBA. Assume nothing. Ask your people what else they feel they are capable of doing and then give them a chance to prove themselves.
The issue of financial stability of the organization goes back to communication. Be as transparent as possible so workers can decide how much risk they are willing to take on at this point in their careers.
I’m saving the best for last. The relationship with one’s immediate supervisor is within your control. You know who the great supervisors are as well as the ones who could be great with the right support. And of course you know the ones who should have been gone a long time ago. Take action and provide training and coaching to help your supervisors improve their relationships with their people. Rid the organization of those who aren’t fit to manage. Do this before the money flies out the door with those employees who decide that the grass is indeed greener on the other side of the fence.
