Employee engagement and happiness is definitely one of the topics du jour for modern management and the future of work. Plenty of studies have already (and continue to) come out that show how low employee engagement is around the world (only 13% of employees are engaged and 87% are not!). Low employee engagement numbers correlate and oftentimes cause decreased productivity, waisted resources, and an overall toxic environment that nobody wants to be a part of…and why should they?
This is why it’s important to understand what employees around the world value in their jobs. So what do employees actually want and what do they care about?
A Tinypulse survey from 2013 revealed that transparency was the #1 factor for employee engagement
A 2014 SAP survey found that compensation is the #1 factor that matters most to employees
Another survey by the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) conducted in 2013 also found that compensation and pay was the #1 factor contributing to job satisfaction
Several other studies have also emerged around what employees care about at work but the most recent one from Boston Consulting Group which surveyed over 200,000 people around the world is one of the most comprehensive. Unlike previous studies which may point to flexibility or salary as the top factor for job happiness, BCG found that the #1 factor for employee happiness on the job is get appreciated for their work!