Research published by The Conference Board reports that Americans of all ages and income brackets continue to grow increasingly unhappy at work. These findings compliment research by others in Europe in the UK and represent a long-term trend that should be a red flag to employers. The report, found only 45 percent of those surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61.1 percent in 1987.
Fewer Americans are satisfied with all aspects of their employment, and no age or income group is immune. In fact, the youngest cohort of employees (those currently under age 25) expresses the highest level of dissatisfaction ever recorded by the survey for that age group. A finding that supports the assertion I made in my last post that there is a significant Engagement Gap in contemporary business.
"The downward trend in job satisfaction could spell trouble for the overall engagement of U.S. employees and ultimately employee productivity. These numbers do not bode well given the multi-generational dynamics of the labor force. The newest federal statistics show that baby boomers will compose a quarter of the U.S. workforce in eight years, and since 1987 we’ve watched them increasingly losing faith in the workplace." Twenty years ago, some 60 percent of that generation was satisfied with their jobs. Today, that figure is roughly 46 percent. The growing dissatisfaction across and between generations is important to address because it can directly impact the quality of multi-generational knowledge transfer-which is increasingly critical to effective workplace functioning."
The drop in job satisfaction between 1987 and 2009 covers all categories in the survey, from interest in work (down 18.9 percentage points) to job security (down 17.5 percentage points) and crosses all four of the key drivers of employee engagement: job design, organizational health, managerial quality, and extrinsic rewards.
"Challenging and meaningful work is vitally important to engaging...workers," adds John Gibbons, program director of employee engagement research and services at The Conference Board. "Widespread job dissatisfaction negatively affects employee behavior and retention, which can impact enterprise-level success." In fact, 22 percent of respondents said they don’t expect to be in their current job in a year. “This data throws up a big, red flag because the increasing dissatisfaction is not just a ‘survivor syndrome’ artifact of having co-workers and neighbors laid off in the recession,".
3 comments:
Scott. Trust you and yours are all well happy and enjoying your work! Thanks for posting this material - The Conference Board have done it again: exposed the big issue. The big issue in the workplace today is that many of them are 'toxic'. Most workers are not engaged with, energized by, nor committed to their work/workplace. Managers are not ... See Moreempowered to become leaders so they over manage: they obsess over process, risk, words, obscure details, past rather than future, and manage upwards. The lack of urgency (see John P Kotter's latest book) is endemic.
Sorry Scott (it is first thing in the morning here and I messed up!) What I meant to say is.....
Managers are not empowered to become leaders so they over manage: the obsess over process (HR is now full to the brim with make work processes), risk (risk aversion is a treasured art form today within corporates - yet risk taking is needed to change the toxic culture managers work to protect),word (they are pedantic to no useful effect other than making work for others), fussing about obscure details (risk aversion, again, because the Board wants it this way - turns out the Board of Directors do not in most cases), focused on past (trapped within yesterday's culture), and manage upwards (care more about their image than doing good work and getting results).
Generation Y employees are turning out to be a possible saviour because they want a 'life' beyond work. They bring a different set of values, social skills, workplace expectations, and even a fun loving approach to their work.
Sorry for the screw up! and this long addendum.
Job satisfaction is such a blunt measure!
A few years ago, a Kiwi colleague flew to the States for a week's meeting. On returning, he commented that he found a culture obviously in the doldrums. In short, the sweeping statement is easy to make. Arriving here, I was interested that every conversation begins - why did you swap NZ for U?. Then I learned that doesn't signal intention to leave. It is simply the discourse that packages the doldrums. It simply signals someone so depressed that they go neither forward nor backwards (nor up or down or sideways or diagonally!)
What is more interesting are the vectors or pockets which aren't jammed by contradiction and betrayal. Where are the positive and/or powerful forces (WH entertainment is one)?
And, more to our point, how could we, as professionals take part in the broader debate? Telling "employers", who are simply our colleagues, that we are are shocking bosses . . . what are we trying to achieve simply by waving the big stick of a survey? We are simply going to extend the normal doldrums of HR. What is our solution? And who is the solution for?
I must say I was impressed that the British electorate set out to hang parliament and did it. That was an amazing collective feat. We will see in the next two weeks whether innovation results.
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