8 Tips to Increase Employee Satisfaction in the Workplace

Angela Kambouris
January 30, 2020

It is no secret that people who are passionate about their work are the key to a company’s success. Unmotivated employees with low employee satisfaction will likely lead to low productivity, low staff morale and a high turnover rate. Harvard Business Review reported that companies are losing around $550 billion per year as a result of employee disengagement.

Happiness has been known to increase employee productivity by at least 12%. When companies invest in employee happiness, happy employees often translate into lower turnover rates and better workplace culture. To retain top talent, nurture them for the long-term.

When employees are satisfied, usually they are happy with one’s job. They experience a feeling of achievement when they are connected to the work they are doing. A LinkedIn global survey reported that 74% of job candidates want a job where they feel their work matters. 

The Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement 2017 study surveyed aspects of employee job satisfaction, representing key areas such as career development, relationships with management, compensation and benefits, work environment, engagement opinions, engagement behaviors and conditions for engagement. This study reported that 89% of US employees stated that they are overall satisfied with their current job. However, they were moderately engaged.

If you want to learn about what will engage and satisfy your people, ask them what they want most. Your workplace will thrive when employers meet their needs. 

Employee Satisfaction Statistics to Consider

To better understand how job satisfaction can have a profound difference for your company, have a look at these statistics:

Employee Engagement

Growth & Development

  • Udemy reported that 42% of millennials identified learning and development as the most important benefit when deciding where to work. 
  • ReportLinker highlighted that 83% of employees take on new challenges are more likely to stay with their organization.

Company Culture

  • A Hays survey of 2000 employees, 43% reported that corporate culture is the main reason they are looking for a new job

Investment In People’s Strengths


  • Businessolver reported that 92% of employees would be more likely to stay with their jobs if their bosses would be more empathetic.

Strategies to Boost Employee Satisfaction in Your Workplace: 

Many elements lead to job satisfaction, including autonomy, flexibility, recognition, a sense of belonging and a good relationship with one’s manager. It is impossible to make every employee happy. It is imperative to work hard to boost job satisfaction. Happy employees will be more successful and impact the company’s bottom line.

When Office Managers appreciate the value in employee satisfaction statistics, there are eight strategies they can implement to improve employee morale and satisfaction.

1. Recognize and Celebrate Your Employees

The State of Employee Engagement report unveiled that 63% of employees do not feel they get enough praise. When you recognize your staff for doing a great job, they become more incentivized to work harder in the future. People want their work to matter and understand how the work they do makes a difference to the client, the team and the company. 

Office Managers must invest in explaining how their specific role adds value in a tangible way such as how someone’s leadership has shaped the direction of the company’s brand voice and contributed to the company’s bottom line. Positive reinforcement increases job satisfaction.

Recognition is a company-wide priority, and Office Managers must identify what that looks like in their workplace and culture. Celebrating through awards can be as simple as picking up an Elvis bobblehead, showing appreciation by letting your clients know through social media or taking photos and talking about how much you appreciate what your staff member did and how they earned this award.

2. Career Development Opportunities for Employees

Training, education opportunities or investment in career development is no longer a nice perk. LinkedIn Workplace learning report discovered that 94% of employees would remain at a company longer if it invested in their career.

When companies invest in employee development, it creates an opportunity for both the leaders and the company to grow and invest in the future. Companies create a talent pool of exceptional, loyal employees who are ready for promotion and upward mobility. It affords people opportunities to learn about the strengths, gaps of employees and their work culture and how to close the differences in the future.

By expanding your employee’s skill set, whether it be through masterclass, online courses, workshops or certifications, employees learn new skills they can apply in their current and future roles. One of the most significant investments has been leadership training programs preparing them to step into managers and leadership roles and influence company culture. When your people grow, your company grows with them. 

3. Holistically Investing in People

Wellbeing programs are more than employee perks. Today many corporations and companies invest in employee wellbeing programs through incentives, tools, social support, and strategies to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. An emphasis on improving health behaviors and investing more in preventing ill health and disease. Having an active, healthy workforce will boost and maintain employee morale. Effective wellbeing programs improve the lives of your people and help drive the success of your organization. 

Aflac identified that 61% of employees agree that they have made healthier lifestyle choices due to their company wellness program. Holistic wellness programs can support employees to change to make better choices, resulting in higher productivity and job satisfaction. 

4. Healthy Companies Create Healthy Communities

Mobile technology has skewed the equilibrium of finding the right balance between dealing with demands to do more with less. If the culture of the workplace encourages responses to late-night emails and then you turn up at work at 8 am not feeling refreshed, then there is a warning sign for the workplace to explore how to remove or mitigate risks to stress and mental health. When there is a secure connection between the Office Manager and employees, it makes the early adoption of risk-reduction strategies much more comfortable to identify and implement. In today’s climate, companies must look after the people who work for them as the most significant rewards are when people feel good about their role and can fulfill their highest potential.

If you want to boost job satisfaction, show your employees that their health matters. When people take time to recharge throughout the day, the more productive they will be within their role. Creating a culture that supports people either attending a workout class, doing yoga or engaging in a meditation session before work, during lunch break or after work, will contribute to people feeling satisfied within their workplace. The by-product is that most activities contribute to reducing stress. Google, Nike, and Apple are companies that have committed to lunchtime mindfulness sessions. SnackNation delivers healthy snacks for offices that employees will love.

5. Building Meaningful Relationships

Most people spend more time daily with the people they work with than their own families. People are clocking in many hours throughout their workweek with people that may be great for business and not so great for their personal lives.

When it comes to boosting job satisfaction, authentic professional relationships are critical to foster workplace connections. Companies must invest in leading opportunities, whether it be through conversations, shared spaces or gamification to encourage respect and engagement with one another. 

Workplaces that engage in team-building activities promote collaboration and cooperation between staff, which is seen as the key to success. Companies can facilitate regular team meetings outside the office, weekly team lunches or Friday happy hour to support people to form genuine friendships. Prioritizing building relationships helps people to feel appreciated when you celebrate their milestones. 

6. Pulse Job Satisfaction Survey

One way to assess if your strategies are working is to conduct a job satisfaction survey within the workplace. Areas of improvement will be identified, highlighting strengths and capturing the voice of people reinforcing that their views are essential to the company. 

Employees are the cornerstone of your company. Happy and satisfied employees are more likely to remain with you for the long haul. In today’s climate, where change and uncertainty are constant, companies are searching for ways to solidify relationships, share missions and values and innovate. 

7. Employee Recognition is a Genuine Commitment

Deloitte reported that employee engagement, productivity, and performance are 14% higher than in organizations without recognition, and a 15% improvement in engagement can result in a 2% increase in margins. 

Praising your people for a job well-done sounds like a simple concept. Offering praise is all about recognition. Most people thrive on feeling appreciated. When praise is received, there is a chemical reaction that takes place in your brain. A burst of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to feelings of pride, satisfaction, and happiness, is released. 

Kindness doesn't cost you anything, and when companies do not give credit, the costs can be substantial. Positive reinforcement, praise, and appreciation can impact employee retention as research has supported that replacing staff members can cost thousands of dollars each year.

Praising and recognizing your employees isn’t a simple action. It is a genuine commitment. Sincere appreciation goes a long way in creating a feeling of well-being in most people. Deloitte’s Talent 2020 Survey reported that leadership support and recognition are among the top three most effective non-financial factors for retention.

8. Show Me the Love

Empathy doesn’t come from a handbook, nor does it seep down from management. When individuals take responsibility to understand their co-workers, bosses, and employees better, your company will reap the rewards. Employees want to feel that their voice has been heard. A compassionate workplace requires a conscious company-wide effort. The best places to work identified a culture of compassion and understanding to be in the forefront of the companies selected.

Office Managers must understand that time spent in the workplace is valuable for everyone, and better listening means solving problems promptly. Active listening demands presence and exercising empathy involves asking the right questions as well to delve into the core of the challenge. Asking questions “what can l do to help or how are we going to take care of this?” acknowledges that you hear your people and we are in a partnership together to resolve. 

When Office Managers approach an employee’s concerns with an open mind, it creates an opportunity to work in their shoes. Empathetic workplaces do not happen overnight. Learning to develop skills such as patience, deep listening, and asking thoughtful questions takes time. The more you invest your energy and time, the easier it becomes to show compassion. Consistently showing up will lead to empathy, influence, and respect. 

Build a Connected, Compassionate Company Culture

When workplaces are infused with joy, humor, authenticity, humility, and activities that foster connection, the holy grail of company culture can be achieved. Employees can feel satisfied, engaged, inspired and confident. Employees turn into purpose-driven evangelists for the company.and their colleagues. Companies that ensure their employees are satisfied and thrive will always be the leaders in the marketplace. 


Learn more from an Eden Workplace team member today.

Try Eden Workplace