SHRM’s Employee Satisfaction and Engagement Study Offers a Roadmap for Better Leadership

 The Society for Human Resource Management’s 2016 Employee Satisfaction and Engagement Study, an important study of employee satisfaction that is updated yearly, has some good news to report this year:

88% of the employees surveyed reported that they are satisfied with their jobs

That is the highest level of satisfaction reported by the study in the last 10 years.But Let’s Dig a Little DeeperIf you review the study’s statistics about satisfaction and engagements, you will also find that:

• 67% of employees say that respectful treatment of all employees is very important to them . . . yet only 31% say they are satisfied with what their companies are doing in that regard
• 63% of employees say that compensation is very important to them . . . yet only 23% are satisfied with their compensation in their current jobs
• 60% of employees say that excellent benefits are very important to them . . . yet only 27% are satisfied with the benefits they receive in their current jobs
• 58% of employees say that job security is very important to them . . . yet only 32% say they experience a feeling of job security in their current jobs
• 55% of employee say that trust between employees and senior management is very important to them . . . yet only 27% say they experience it in their current jobs
• 53% of employees say that a good relationship with an immediate supervisor is very important to them . . . yet only 40% say they experience it in their current jobs
• 48% of employees say that management recognition of job performance is very important to them . . . yet only 26% say they experience it in their current jobs
• 48% of employees say that good communication between employees and senior management is very important to them . . . yet only 25% say they experience it in their current jobs
• 47% of employees say that career advancement opportunities within their organization is very important to them . . . yet only 24% say they experience it in their current jobs
• 43% of employees say they value teamwork within their work groups . . . yet only 28% say they experience it in their current jobs
• 42% of employees say they value job-specific training . . . yet only 25% of them say they are getting it in their current jobs
• 40% of employees say they value an employer’s commitment to their professional development . . . yet only 25% say they experience it in their current jobs
• 30% of employees say they value a company’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce . . .yet only 25% feel satisfied with what their companies are doing in this regard

A Roadmap for More Ingaged and Effective LeadershipAs you review those bullets, what do you think? Are you giving your employees what they say they value the most? Could you do better? No organization is perfect. But if you try to provide more of what your employees value the most, chances are you will see significant improvements in employee satisfaction and retention.