Job satisfaction on the rise

Have you used an employee satisfaction survey to gauge the engagement of your staff lately?

It's always a good idea to check in on how happy your employees are feeling in their roles, as it has a direct effect on their productivity.

Considering the state of the general Australian workforce, however, it's likely you'll find your workers are quite satisfied.

A total of 32.5 per cent of Australian workers reported being very satisfied with their job while 42.9 per cent said they are satisfied, according to survey results from Roy Morgan, released on November 20.

Even though many Australians are working more than the official full-time week requires – 26.7 per cent of employees are working over 40 hours – the majority are still satisfied.

Only 6.6 per cent of paid workers reported feeling dissatisfied, 2.4 per cent very dissatisfied and 14.8 per cent neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

"There are currently almost 11 million Australians in paid employment, and just over three quarters of them are satisfied with their jobs. While many people work long hours, and others consider themselves poorly paid, it’s encouraging to see that job satisfaction is so widespread," said Norman Morris, industry communications director at Roy Morgan Research.

Factors that influenced job satisfaction most highly included a sense of job security, a healthy salary and recognition.

Overall, the happiest workers were those who received recognition for their efforts. A total of 55.3 per cent of paid workers said they are satisfied with the recognition they receive in the workplace, with 93.3 per cent of those also noting they are satisfied with their jobs generally.

Those dissatisfied with their level of recognition were four times more likely to feel dissatisfied with their job overall.

So while things are looking good for Australians, it's important to check your workers are feeling just as satisfied – if not more – than the national average.

Consider trialling an Australian-built online survey tool and click here for a free custom-branded demonstration of PeoplePulse.