- Quits have been elevated for several months as workers leave their jobs, often to seek opportunities elsewhere
- A look at what drives satisfaction and happiness in the workplace
- Taking a substantial role in projects, closing a sale, and other factors that can improve worker contentment
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
The labor force has been going through a major churn during the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of people leave their jobs. The “Great Resignation” has been driven by a variety of factors, but workers often decide to give their notice due to dissatisfaction with their current role.
So what makes an employee satisfied with their work? A recent article in Fast Company looked at research that has addressed this issue.
- Satisfaction is defined as long-term contentment with a job, while happiness is a more momentary feeling brought on by certain accomplishments
- One idea is that people are more likely to be satisfied if they see their job as a calling with an opportunity to have a beneficial impact on society
- Alternatively, the Job Characteristics Theory suggests that job satisfaction derives from matters such as the ability to perform several tasks, oversight of tasks from start to finish, autonomy over project, and frequent feedback from managers
- Events that make workers happy include completing a project, closing a sale, and contributing an idea to a successful proposal
