It’s pretty easy to guess why
40% of employees are not engaged at work.
And in your own life, you’re either in the same boat or have heard the
gripes, quips and complaints from others. But what about the 60% of
employees that are engaged? What is it that they love about their jobs
and how can you love yours, too?
That’s exactly the question asked by
TINYpulse,
a company providing weekly employee surveys to over 40,000 people at
300 companies located across the globe. As an advisor to the company, I
was able to get a sneak peek into some of the findings TINYpulse will be
publishing on employee engagement for 2013.
To reach their findings, the company surveyed their clients’
employees, asking a relatively simple open-ended question: "What do you
love about your job?" TINYpulse then tabulated and analyzed the results,
identifying these top five reasons people love their jobs.
1. We the People
The number one reason cited for loving a job was coworkers. because
of the people they work with. In fact, this answer was given 3x more
often than the next most-cited reason.
One responder commented, "I love the people I work beside. They are practically my family."
"Great people attract great people," said TINYpulse founder and CEO
David Niu. "The quality of your team can play a big role in employee happiness."
Pro-tip: If you’re looking for a job you’ll love,
don’t get distracted by the perks. Instead, look for the people you want
to work with. Don’t be intimidated by long interviews with multiple
people. This type of interview set up gives you a good chance to meet
more of the team and help you to evaluate if the role, among the already
existing team members, will be a good fit..
2. Let Freedom Ring
The second leading factor in what makes people love their jobs comes
under the banner of freedom. Employees cited freedom, autonomy and
flexibility as key components to job satisfaction.
One employee craved "having the freedom to create, improvise and be
entrepreneurial," while another stated: "I love having the freedom to
experiment and fail, and still support my actions."
"
If you want your employees to take risks, you have to give them permission to fail
If you want your employees to take risks, you have to give them permission to fail," said Niu.
Avani Pakti, who leads the health and happiness team at the global consulting firm
Zevenseas agrees, also adding that freedom of expression is just as important.
"You have to proactively ask employees for their opinion on a regular basis, and allow people to speak their mind without fear."
Pro-tip: Freedom and autonomy can provide ideal
working conditions, but in many cases, that responsibility has to be
earned. Check out these
quick tips for approaching your boss or manager with a proposal for more flexibility, if you currently have very little.
3. Culture is King
Cameron Herold, author of
Backpocket COO, said culture is
king and creating a desirable work environment is the most important
advice he gives to CEO’s for growing a business.
Employees also rate culture highly, listing the work environment as
the third most important factor for loving your job. One respondent
gushed: "There are many things that I love about my job. I love the work
environment. I love the camaraderie that is formed with co-workers. I
love being a part of something larger that makes a difference. I love
that everyone cares and that you have flexibility when needed."
And when it comes to an engaging work culture, leadership and management are who employees look to in setting the status quo.
"Many people think of work culture in terms of ping-pong tables and
free snacks," said Niu. "However, I’ve found that companies who rank
high on our employee happiness index have cultures that
deliver on the fundamental values of transparency, trust and communication
deliver on the fundamental values of transparency, trust and communication."
The converse of this is also true and the terms "toxic,"
"dysfunctional" and "disengaged" came up a lot where employee ratings
are low.
Pro-tip: Look for work environments where there is a strong alignment with your personal values. Ask these
4 questions to determine company culture in an interview
or if you are at a company, look at the traits and characteristics of
people who were recently promoted or have risen through the ranks.
4. Variety is the Spice of Life
Many respondents of the TINYpulse survey listed "variety" and
"learning" as things they loved about their job. According to Duke
professor Tom Katsoulea, "even
lowly amoebas show evidence that boredom and unhappiness occur when subjected to repeated stimuli without new 'learning.'"
Thus, it’s in our nature to learn and seek variety. One employee
said, "I love the variety. Everyday is different and I get to interact
with such a varied group. It means I am always learning."
It’s also very important to provide employees with the resources,
tools and training for their development. "One of our clients really
engaged their employees by creating and communicating career path road
maps for all of their employees," said Niu.
Pro-tip: Variety and learning are two-sides of the
same coin. Learning new skills allows you to tackle more opportunities
and variety provides the stimuli forcing you to learn. If you aren't
currently in a position with variety, take up free online classes like
learning how to code to help you pivot in a career that more aligns with your interests.
5. Do Not Limit Your Challenges
Somewhere in a company lunchroom there is a poster with rock climbers
making the final ascent up a mountain. The caption reads: "Do not limit
your challenges, challenge your limits."
It’s trite, but true. People want to be challenged.
It’s trite, but true. People want to be challenged.
"I love that my job challenges me every day in different ways," said
one respondent. Another employee wrote, "Give me MCP: mission, challenge
and purpose."
In contrast, low employee engagement scores were given when words
like "grind," "repetitive," "mundane" and "unchallenged" were reported.
"Leaders who are great at delegating provide both opportunity and
challenges for their employees to stay engaged," said Niu. "The key is
to unblock, support and provide the resources for employees to push
their limits."
Pro-tip: You don’t have to think of challenges in
terms of big moves and jumping off cliffs. Learn to take smaller steps
quicker to get out of your comfort zone. If you want to be a better
speaker, practice in a smaller meeting then in front of an audience of
thousands, for instance. Then make a
TEDTalk an eventual goal.
If you are looking for a job you love where you are engaged and
challenged, you need to look further than compensation. For employers,
get employee feedback on a regular basis. Then, listen and act.
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