One way to retain at least some number of employees is by addressing the issues of employee engagement and job satisfaction.
The two are different, and learning how they differ can help you keep your employees happy, motivated, and less likely to quit. So, how do employee engagement and job satisfaction differ?
Is your assessment of these two metrics accurate? Imagine a manufacturing employee, Nathan, who starts his shift at 9 AM every day and works until 5 PM with a one-hour lunch break in-between. He receives a competitive pay package, better than other manufacturing plants located in his county. It takes Nathan only 20 minutes to reach the plant, and he has been working there for the last seven years.
In this period, he has been promoted twice. He also receives full medical coverage for himself and his family, which makes him worry less about the future. These indicators suggest that Nathan is satisfied with his job. The job provides everything he needs, and he has no complaints from it.
Now consider Amanda, a software developer at a startup. The company is in the early stages of growth, and Amanda has been offered equity benefits instead of standard compensation elements until the first round of funding comes in. Amanda often spends over 10 hours in the office, trying to meet deadlines and getting the product off the ground. She is passionate about her work and is continually learning new things in her domain, which makes her a highly skilled professional.
What is important to note here, however, is that job satisfaction and employee engagement are both equally important. While satisfaction may be enough to sustain an employee in a job for seven years, it is engagement in the job that will help employees reach their full potential and subsequently enable the growth of the organization.
Only when your workforce is satisfied and engaged, you can sustain productivity levels in the long run. Job satisfaction can be defined as the sense of contentment one feels as a direct result of being employed in a particular role.
Job satisfaction is a must-have if you want your employees to have a long tenure with your company. Still, unless the company receives funding and starts providing her with the pay commensurate with her efforts, she is likely to start looking for a new job because the satisfaction element may be missing.
Employee engagement can be defined as the level of involvement and connection one feels in their job. Various forces shape engagement, including the nature of leadership and the sense of community in the workplace. Motivation, interest, passion, purpose, and personal investment all make up how engaged an employee is. Over time, this feeling could intensify, causing him to look for a more meaningful employment option.
Typically, it is the monetary and associated factors that determine how satisfied employees are with their job. The top four elements include:. The first and probably the biggest driver of job satisfaction is compensation. Remember two things here. One, the pay scale must be positioned competitively against similar companies in your region.
Two, employees should be able to maintain an above-average quality of life with the compensation provided. Supporting the advantages of good pay, you can offer a comprehensive benefits package that takes care of physical and mental well-being, financial wellness, childcare, and family coverage.
You may not need innovative perks like unlimited paid time off or an in-house gym. And this is a key difference between employee engagement and job satisfaction.
People want stronger basics than perks they can do without. Shorter commutes, the freedom to work from home, paid leaves, and mandatory vacation days, among other things, can ensure a positive work-life balance for your workforce.
They will have more time to spend with family or in personal pursuits, thereby improving the quality of life. This is one of those factors that not only ensures satisfaction but can also contribute to a certain level of employee engagement.
You can adopt a formal structure of recognition, with annual reviews and appraisals, or an informal one, where achievements are acknowledged in the moment. We recommend both. Note, again, that this is a factor that can enable both satisfaction and engagement at work. Complete the form below to get started today and take the next step in your educational journey. Career Categories. What is Job Satisfaction? What is Employee Engagement? Get program guide YES! Please send me a FREE brochure with course info, pricing and more!
Related Articles. Differences Between Leadership and Management. Need help? Just remember the acronym MAGIC , which stands for meaning, autonomy, growth, impact, and connection. Employees can only become engaged with their work when they feel a sense of purpose in accomplishing tasks. As anyone who was tasked with menial labor such as preparing coffee during their internships, it becomes harder to appreciate your work if you cannot see its relevance.
When employees are allowed to forge their own paths, they can attribute any results they gain from the actions they took, empowering them to perform at their best.
Companies can implement this by emphasizing employee input during brainstorming sessions or by being more open to their suggestions. Some companies allow employees to engage in their own pet projects, sometimes even providing all the necessary resources.
Boredom will set in, killing their motivation. While it might be tempting to give people tasks that they become accustomed to, always try to find ways to nudge them out of their comfort zones.
Most people desire to exert their influence on the world, and many wish to be a driving force for good.
By making them feel their impact on the organization, they are further encouraged to do more. Finally, if your employees can see themselves fully as a part of the corporate culture, they will be more inspired to be more productive for the sake of their friends and colleagues. If their goals align with those of the company, then they will strive to work harder. Is there a scientific basis for job satisfaction? Motivation-Hygiene Theory found that there are different factors causing job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction.
The top 6 factors for job satisfaction are:. The top 6 factors for job dissatisfaction are:. Is there evidence that employees focus more on job satisfaction rather than on employee engagement? However, when asked to rate their engagement on a scale of 1 to 5, the average score was only 3. Christmas is that time of year when folks unpack their old Christmas ornaments and Sending out emails and resumes is often an arduous task.
Skip to content. External and Internal Motivation Understanding what exactly motivates your employees is key to determining whether you are engaging them enough. External Motivation Many office workers readily admit that material resources motivate them. Internal Motivation True engagement occurs when employees are driven by more intrinsic factors.
Determining If Your Employees are Satisfied and Engaged The most straightforward way to determine the levels of job satisfaction and employee engagement is to ask your employees. Why did your employees apply to your company? On one hand, that means the opportunity to attend symposiums, conferences, and trade shows.
On another, it means the ability to get promoted — or at least interview from a position that carries more responsibility. Again, compare all of that to the satisfied employee who is simply happy to get a paycheck without having to bust their tail. Are your employees engaged? By changing the way your organization operates — even slightly — you could increase the chances your workers become engaged. With that in mind, here are six simple tactics you can use to increase engagement:.
When your employees do a great job on a significant project, by all means, tell them how proud you are. Invest in professional development.
Let employees pursue pet projects. Doing the same thing at work every single day gets tiring quickly. Embrace remote working and flexible scheduling. Great perks can create engaged employees. You may also want to look into flexible scheduling. Your workers will be happier if they can work when and where they want.
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