“It really hit me today that I’m not satisfied at work.”
“Should I tell my boss I’m not happy?”
You can find countless messages like these from employees over the web. Even worse—dissatisfaction and unhappiness may have already crept into your company or are brewing among your staff members right now.
Declining job satisfaction is hardly surprising these days. The following figure clearly illustrates the reality: 52.3% of employees are unhappy or dissatisfied at work. Eventually, seven out of ten consider quitting due to it.
But let us stop here.
No more discouraging statistics!
It’s time to figure out how to keep employee satisfaction high and retain the workforce by learning from other brands and their time-tested strategies.
How to Improve Job Satisfaction – Learn From These Companies
Follow the lead. Draw inspiration from the employers mentioned below.
Train employees in the Metaverse like Shiseido.
Have you ever thought about exploring the Metaverse together with your employees? Why not?Shiseido has already started promoting employee satisfaction through interactive workplace learning in the Metaverse, a new digital universe set in virtual reality. The brand built a virtual space within the Metaverse—SHISEIDO SKYTOPIA. It combines gamification, visuals, and downloadables and mimics real-life scenarios relevant to Shiseido’s professionals. Beauty consultants level up and test their knowledge in the immersive environment. Through the Metaverse, Shiseido makes employee education engaging and fun.
Alternatively, you have a rich selection of other virtual training strategies at your disposal:
- Podcasts
- Webinars
- Gamified learning platforms (e.g., Gametize or Spinify)
- Microlearning videos
- Online mentoring tools (e.g., PushFar or MicroMentor)
Unite your team around shared interests and values like Second Skin Audio.
When employees share identical passions and common organisational values, they feel more connected to each other, which results in a higher sense of belongingness and a more enjoyable work atmosphere.
Here’s a breakdown of these two categories.
Interests:
- Music
- Movies
- Books
- Board games
- Puzzles, etc.
Values:
- Sustainability
- Customer obsession
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I)
- Simplicity
- Innovation, etc.
Sturgeon Christie, CEO at Second Skin Audio, unveils the company’s vision of such unity, “As diverse as we are—whether the US Army Veteran, the modern Renaissance guy enjoying carpentry, the ATV rider, or the avid coffee consumer—we are noise nerds. We’re also passionate problem-solvers who prefer simplifying, innovating, and tackling soundproofing challenges. These mutual characteristics form the nucleus of our unity.”
For example:
The team engages in activities and projects that align with their collective passions, such as music-related festivals or acoustic insulation workshops.
What about your team?
Let your core values finally come off the walls and land in your employees’ hearts, rallying them together like bees in a hive.
Install napping pods like Google.
It may seem unbelievable at first, but a short nap a day may serve as a springboard to skyrocket your employee satisfaction.
Prepare your fingers to count its cognitive, physical, and emotional advantages. Short naps (10–20 minutes each), aka power naps, amplify cognitive functions (memory, problem-solving, creativity) and make a person more productive. They also help reduce stress and fight burnout. Moreover, they alleviate irritability and lift the spirits. So many priceless benefits for employees!
Google, a gigantic tech employer known for its innovative workplace culture, reaps all of those for a healthier and happier workforce thanks to nap pods installed at its offices.
This gesture demonstrates Google’s commitment to employees’ health and wellness and increases job satisfaction and loyalty.
However, there are other ways to achieve the same results, like, say, a nap room. For instance, Zappos allocated a separate quiet room for employees to nap during the workday.
In fact, nap rooms are among the most desired perks for employees: 45.7% of UK workers want to have them at their job sites.
Speaking about other bonuses and perks.
Offer superb benefits and diversified perks like Salesforce.
Here’s another fact, a revelation for employers: 60% of employees regard benefits as a significant factor affecting their job satisfaction level, and 72% acknowledge that more perks would increase it.
With this in mind, create an extensive benefits list to make your employees satisfied at work:
- Medical coverage
- Dental and vision insurance
- Paid days off
- Education reimbursement
- Volunteer time off
- And others.
Let’s look at how Salesforce approaches this strategy.
The company has a dedicated portal (SalesforceBenefits.com) where workers can scroll through employee benefits in four categories: Physical Health, Mental Well-being, Financial and Legal, and Family Care. Notably, Salesforce offers diverse benefits that resonate with the company’s DE&I value (e.g., LGBTQ+ healthcare support or transgender employee benefits).
Of course, you don’t necessarily have to mirror Salesforce’s practices. Roman Zrazhevskiy, Founder & CEO of MIRA Safety, mentions, “Your employee benefits package may pivot on your industry and business type and reflect your workers’ specific needs. For instance, as a federal contractor, we provide paid federal holidays, among other benefits and perks per employees’ preferences.”
Indeed, personalisation is one of the strategic ways to leverage employee benefits to enhance job satisfaction and retention.
Arm your workers with tools like Findaband.
Let’s again rely on the statistic: 80% of workers claim that the necessary tools positively impact their job satisfaction. As you can understand, employees’ satisfaction correlates with the tech equipment available to perform the job.
For Sam Browne, Founder of Findaband, gearing up the HR department first is crucial because everything starts with building a talent pipeline and hiring staff. He shares, “Our HR team gets unlimited access to Workable and LinkedIn Recruiter to streamline the recruitment process and reduce manual workloads.”
Yet, as before, customization comes into play here, too. You must pick practical tools depending on the peculiarities of your business processes and employees’ roles and responsibilities.
Maintain open communication and kill the hierarchy like SSR.
Researchers prove the following formula works without a hitch:
The better communication on the job site = the higher employee satisfaction rate.
Remarkably, the latter increases once all hierarchical barriers fall. Here’s how: When frontline employees can easily communicate with a senior manager, CEO, or other executives, such a “flattened” structure acts as a booster for trust, collaboration, and psychological safety.
Phil Strazzulla, Founder of SelectSoftware Reviews (SSR), believes, “Hierarchy is the silent barrier that stifles employees’ voices. It keeps team members at a distance and promotes a hostile atmosphere. That’s why we strive to break through the barricades of a perceived or real hierarchy and ensure every employee’s voice is heard and valued, regardless of the job title or status.”
As a founder and CEO, Phil Strazzulla chats openly and transparently with the remote team. He smashes the invisible barriers via virtual communication channels.
You can likewise leverage technology for employee communication:
- Slack
- Google Chat
- Microsoft Teams
- Flock
- Rocket.Chat
Nail your corporate events and celebrations like Checkr.
Based on the study, employees feel happier after participating in organisational or social events as a team. Such activities evoke a sense of camaraderie, boost employee engagement, and make workers more satisfied with their jobs overall.
Sip from Checkr’s well of experience through the examples of various events and corporate celebrations at the company.
- DE&I holidays
The Checkr team celebrates diverse and inclusive holidays, such as International Women’s Day, Pride Month, or Black History Month.
- Philanthropic events
Besides, Checkr’s employees engage in volunteering and charitable events.
- Company anniversary celebrations
And here’s a sneak peek at the company’s 10th-anniversary celebration in Las Vegas.
Pierce Hogan, Owner of Varied Lands, also outlines the advantages of organising corporate events outdoors. He says, “Outdoor activities in green, natural spaces can significantly improve employees’ psychological condition. They lessen mental fatigue and lift the mood, let alone that nature has a healing effect. It may be a company-wide picnic, a camping day, or a road trip—whichever your team prefers.”
Shout out to your employees on social media like Carcinotech.
Do you recognise employees’ achievements?
If not, a social media platform is an ideal jump-off spot to start doing that.
Public recognition drives engagement and makes employees feel their true worth. Shouting out your words of appreciation via social channels can additionally stimulate your team’s enthusiasm and motivation once people see their efforts as valuable “bricks” that build your business.
Let’s see how Carcinotech uses LinkedIn to pay tribute to worker dedication. The company runs a regular employee spotlight series. One by one, each piece brings employees to the center stage and highlights individual milestones and contributions.
Besides, whenever new hires join the team, Carcinotech welcomes them with LinkedIn shout-outs.
But if a shout-out is the only appreciation method, it’s like a drop in the sea. It may be insufficient to demonstrate your gratitude. That’s why it would be wise to complement it with other employee recognition ideas, such as:
- “Thank-you” emails
- Surprise days off
- Team trophies
- Monetary bonuses
- Badges or awards
- Gift cards, etc.
To advance employee appreciation to the next level, consider developing a personalised reward programme for each team member. For example, knowing that the employee is a sports-enthusiast, you can offer a gym membership as an individual gift.
Teach employees self-caring skills like Spotify.
Yes, self-care is a skill to be honed.
How often do your employees put a tick near “me and my health” instead of “work” or “home errands”?
The answer is probably never. Perhaps that is why 76% of employees are burned out at work, which leads to job dissatisfaction.
Chances are Spotify’s answer would be quite different. The company encourages workers to undertake self-care practices through an employee assistance programme (All The Feels), a meditation app (Headspace), and a digital hub for personal care. Accessible from everywhere, these resources are ideal for remote or hybrid teams.
When teaching your team members to support their physical and mental health, there’s another aspect to keep in mind. Tim White, Founder of milepro, believes it’s vital to help them develop a habit of self-care planning. “On the narrower, daily scope, employees shouldn’t forget about frequent mini-breaks throughout their workday. From the broader, yearly perspective, they should schedule self-care days or personal retreats periodically.”
It’s Your Turn to Boost Employee Satisfaction
If you follow in these footsteps and hit all nine points, you will have a satisfied workforce. This investment will pay off immediately; take our word for it.
Remember, a happy team doesn’t just succeed; it thrives. So, become a serial creator of workplace happiness, let your team achieve peak performance, and climb the highest mountain of your corporate success.
Author: Catherine Schwartz – HARO & Content Outreach
Photo credit: StockCake
