According to a recent report by the Society for Human Resource Management, 83 percent of U.S. employees are satisfied with their jobs, but only 40 percent of them are content with their career development and advancement opportunities.
"As we slowly come out of the recession, the war for talent will be back on," says Mark Schmit, SHRM's vice president for research. "When that happens, there is the potential for turnover, given the dissatisfaction that employees seem to have with the real or perceived lack of advancement opportunities."
Although the 83 percent figure is down from 2009, the percent of satisfied employees hasn't changed significantly in the last 10 years, Schmit adds.
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The report also explores employee engagement and finds approximately seven out of 10 respondents say they are moderately engaged in their work, focused on accomplishing work goals and completely dedicated to work projects. These respondents also say they give extra effort into their work.
Still, only 52 percent of respondents report feeling completely plugged in at work, and only 53 percent of respondents say they enjoy volunteering for activities beyond their job requirements.
"Employees seem to be saying, 'I'm not getting training or opportunities for development, so why would I volunteer to do extra things to advance my career by helping out the organization?'" Schmit says. "But it's a self-fulfilling prophecy that has implications not only for employees but for HR professionals and business leaders who manage the talent in their organizations."
The report also reveals that job security continues to rank as the biggest driver of job satisfaction for the fourth year, as 63 percent of respondents say it is very important to them. Only 28 percent of respondents say they are very satisfied with their job security, and female respondents say they are less satisfied with job security than their male counterparts.
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