Increasing Employee Satisfaction: A Guide for Employers

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Employee satisfaction is a crucial component for a successful business. Satisfied employees seem to be happier, more fulfilled, and more likely to stay with a company long-term. Prioritizing employee satisfaction is beneficial for employees and employers and contributes to a more positive work environment. 

We’ve all been dissatisfied with our jobs before. We get bored, we feel undervalued, we dislike our coworkers, whatever the reason, workplace dissatisfaction isn’t an unfamiliar feeling in today’s society. Take Karen for instance. She was a crucial part of a team project and took on more than half of the responsibility. When the project concluded and was deemed a success, her supervisor was credited with the accomplishment. Karen was left feeling overlooked and unmotivated. It is likely her co-workers shared some of those same feelings. A simple word of gratitude to the entire team could have easily eliminated team members from feeling undervalued. So, what can employers do to improve this so they build trust with employees that results in a company’s success?

There are many steps you can take to increase employee satisfaction in your organization. If you still have questions after reading or want to dive deeper into some of the techniques listed, reach out to the Wilbanks Consulting Group (WCG) to schedule a coaching session. 

Why is Employee Satisfaction Important? 

When employees feel valued and motivated, they perform better which ultimately benefits the business as a whole. According to a study published in Science Direct Journal, there is a clear correlation between job satisfaction and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression resulting in workplace fatigue and burnout. 

Harvard Business Review states that employees who are satisfied are likely to stay in their current job for a longer period of time. Low employee turnover means training fewer newly hired employees and builds a strong culture of loyalty in the workplace. Harvard Business Review mentions the idea of “inertia” in explaining why employees will stick around at a company. The idea is that they will stay until something forces them to leave. Do you know what is causing your employees to leave? 

To improve employee satisfaction, it is important to not only understand this, but how to avoid it. WCG has helped hundreds of employers create a roadmap to increase employee retention with executive career coaching sessions. Reach out to us today for a free consultation.

Why Employees Leave and How to Make Them Stay

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The Indeed Editorial Team states, “The customer always comes first – that’s an adage many organizations still preach today, and yours may be no different. But you may be surprised to hear that Starbucks’ Howard Schultz disagrees. According to him, employees – and their job satisfaction – should be a company's main point of focus.”

An article by the Indeed Editorial Team indicates five ways to increase employee satisfaction, including:

• cutting down hours

• offer remote work time

• hiring for fit

• improving overall employee experience

• promoting authenticity among employees. 

Some of these might seem like they would hurt business rather than improve it. But more and more companies are realizing that taking steps toward improving employee satisfaction is more beneficial than implementing cost cutting measures that often result in overworked and unhappy employees. As more companies come to this realization, it’s important, now more than ever before, to prioritize employee satisfaction to remain competitive in today’s job market.  

Cutting Down Hours

In analyzing work trends and employee satisfaction, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that working more than 45 hours a week was associated with lower health outcomes and lower employee satisfaction. A few ways to cut down on hours include implementing a four day work week, giving employees a rostered day off (RDO), or increasing paid time off (PTO). 

Put yourself in prospective employees shoes, if you’re torn between two comparable companies and one offers two weeks PTO and the other offers one, which are you more likely to choose? Not only is increased time off a clear benefit for employees, it indicates to them that the company values their employees work-life balance. By giving employees more time off, they are likely to be more focused and productive when they are working. 

Offer Remote Work Time 

Following the pandemic, an abundance of companies offer partially or fully remote opportunities. According to WFH Research, as of 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, while 28.2% work a hybrid model. These numbers are expected to continue to increase. Even if a company isn’t in a position to offer remote work opportunities, there are bound to be days where work can be done from home. Giving employees this option will make them feel like their employers trust them to get the work done even if they aren’t in the office. They won’t want to break that trust and will likely work even harder so their employer will recognize their level of motivation. 

Hiring for Fit

To keep employees satisfied, hire employees that will help the company grow and fit into the company’s culture from the onset. Hiring typically focuses on experience and qualifications, but placing value on soft skills and personality can prove beneficial as well. Hiring employees that are not only qualified, but also personable can greatly improve workplace culture. This decreases conflict and results in a more positive workplace for employees. 

Improving Employee Experience

Creating a positive workplace for employees is the foundation of employee satisfaction. When companies encourage open communication, celebrate achievements, and create a supportive atmosphere, employees are more likely to have a positive perspective surrounding the office. Recognition and reward programs are a great way to improve employee experience and show employees they are valued. Another way to do this is by being an active member of the company. Employees like to know who they are working for. 

Promoting Authenticity Among Employees

If an employee has made it through the hiring process, they clearly have something to offer the company. By allowing employees to show up authentically, employers indicate they value what their employees bring to the table, even if that looks different for everyone. 

Offering employees alternate ways of achieving the same task is one way employers can be open to different learning styles, resulting in increased productivity. If it takes a visual learner twice as long to grasp something because it is only taught in a hands-on fashion, offering a visual learning approach will save time and money while making the employee feel as though their unique approach to learning is being accommodated. 

Everybody Wins When Employees are Satisfied

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Satisfied employees are excited to come to work every day. This leads to a more positive workplace and more focused and productive employees who are less likely to leave a company. Embodying a holistic approach that addresses various aspects of the workplace experience can have great benefits for companies and employers. 

Take time to assess the techniques listed above to determine where your company can improve or integrate these techniques into company culture. This action can increase employee satisfaction resulting in long-term success of the company. 

If you’re looking for a partner to assist you in improving employee satisfaction and increasing employee retention, reach out to WCG for a free 30 minute consultation to determine how we can help you and your business succeed.