Is workplace culture more important to building a satisfied work team than money and benefits? A survey from the Society for Human Resource Management suggests that it is.
SHRM does an annual survey on employee satisfaction, and this year's results found more workers reporting job satisfaction that at any time since 2004.
But SHRM added some new "satisfaction factors" to this year's survey that may have elicited significant information about the true components of job satisfaction. The most revealing were: "Respectful treatment of all employees at all levels," and "Trust between employees and senior management."
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The first was rated as the most important factor by the most respondents at 72 percent. The latter was ranked No. 1 by 64 percent. Both were rated more highly than financial factors, as benefits clocked in at 63 percent and pay at 61 percent.
SHRM viewed this as a positive response, indicating the employees are looking for much more from a job than pay and benefits.
"Workers have shown an increased preference for understanding their role and how it aligns with the success of an organization," said Evren Esen, director of SHRM's survey programs. "What's important to employees now is a collaborative environment that encourages feedback and interaction among co-workers and between employees and their supervisors.
"Pay is important," Esen said. "But workplace culture might mean more. Corporate culture and workplace relationships are held in higher esteem by workers as evidenced in this year's survey."
SHRM attributed much of the uptick in overall satisfaction — from 81 percent in 2013 to 86 percent last year — to the recovery.
"We're moving away from a period of uncertainty," Esen said. "Organizations now have more flexibility in hiring and benefit offerings, and there is a renewed focus on retaining employees. At the same time, workers are more confident in the job market and are seeking out jobs that are more compatible with their needs and wants. It all adds up to a change in how workers view their work and greater satisfaction on the job."
Some of the highly ranked factors weren't surprising. Even in a recovery, folks still want job security, as evidenced by its 59 percent No. 1 ranking. A good boss mattered most to 58 percent, and opportunities to use skills and abilities also garnered 58 percent. Eight in 10 respondents were satisfied with their relationships with co-workers, and 76 percent were satisfied with the contribution their work made to the employer's business goals.
Other findings included:
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92 percent of employees said they were confident that they could meet their work goals;
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88 percent said they were determined to accomplish their work goals;
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76 percent said they had a clear understanding of their organization's vision and mission;
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74 percent said they were highly motivated by work goals, which is an increase of 10 percentage points from the year before.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
