Business|Adults|Advanced|15. Job satisfaction

Marriott checks in ten places higher up our list this year thanks to its five-star treatment of staff. Employees award the family-run hospitality business the highest positive score in our survey — 76% — for loving their work here.

It may not be the biggest payer (three-quarters of workers get a basic salary of £15,000 or less), but staff have fun (83%), think the job is good for their personal growth (77%) and are happy with the balance between work and home life (66%).

Employees also feel they can make a difference in the organisation (73%), make a valuable contribution to its success (76%) and are excited about where the company is going (69%).

The worldwide group, which employs more than 11,000 staff, ranks second out of all 20 organisations on questions about what staff think of the company and then colleagues and third of their positive views of managers.

There is a culture of respect and recognition, and there is training specifically on teamwork, a quality specifically on teamwork, a quality prized by the company. Marriott even uses psychometric testing to assess how well managers align to its nine core organisational competencies. Staff say that senior managers truly live the values of the organisation (71%), help them fulfil their potential and motivate them to give their best every day (71% and 70%, both top scores). They say the managers are excellent role models and regularly show appreciation, winning positive scores >of 69% and 75% respectively, results better in both cases by only one other firm.

The company, where the average length of service for general managers is 17 years, likes to promote from within. Its performance review process creates a development plan for every member of staff and identifies their training needs. On-the-job training is a key feature of development, and there are NVQ programmes for accredited qualifications, with staff saying this training of great benefit to them (72%).

Rewards for outstanding contribution and long service, plus an annual staff appreciation week and quarterly social activities, reinforce the value Marriott places on its people. In the year to August 2008, the firm spent £355,000 on fun events for employees, who go out of their way to help each other (76%).

Staff have free use of the hotel leisure clubs and access to a confidential helpline if they have any personal worries. All this helps promote a strong sense of wellbeing. Stress isn’t a problem (76%), workers say they are not under so much pressure they can’t concentrate (72%) or that they can’t perform well (70%, the second-highest score).

Benefits include between 20 and 25 days’ basic holiday, two weeks’ paternity leave on 90% of pay, childcare vouchers, dental insurance, critical illness cover, life assurance and a contributory pension. Employees say Marriott is run on strong principles (75%) by an inspirational boss (71%), and that they are proud to work for it (79%).

The phrase «work hard, play hard» could have been invented for Sue Day, a high-flyer at financial services giant KPMG. The Corporate Finance Manager spends her working days getting the best out of her talented team, but KPMG makes sure she also has the time available to pursue her sporting career.

«KPMG recognises that if it looks after people, it will get more out of them,» says Day, who has been with the firm for 12 years. «It is difficult to juggle the training and the competition of an international sport with a job. I’ve been here so long because KPMG is so supportive.»

It’s that kind of earning culture that has seen KPMG top our list for the third time in four years. And its almost 12,000 strong workforce seems to agree with Day’s assessment, according to our 66 point employee questionnaire. The company has top-ten results for 48 questions, and ten of those are the best scores nationally.

Corporate Citizenship Manager Uzma Hamid wanted to expand her career options and perhaps work abroad. She was given carte blanche by her manager and found a four-month secondment with the United Nations Global Impact initiative, which she says was «like everyone’s dream if you work in corporate social responsibility». «KPMG makes me feel empowered. I am taken seriously and I can make choices about my own career,» Hamid says. «I am now using my experience proactively and to the benefit of the organisation.»

Employees say managers help them to fulfil their potential (a 70% positive score) and agree that the organisation is run on strong principles (78% — the top score nationally).

With an overall positive score of 75%, opportunities for personal growth keep staff happy. The expansion of KPMG Europe has increased opportunities for staff to work abroad. Its successful scheme to retain talented women encompasses Reach, a project aimed at encouraging women to become middle managers. It also has a programme for its own emerging leaders to help them move up to the next level.

Staff find their work stimulating (73%), agree training is of great personal benefit (74%) and believe the experience they gain is valuable to their future (83%), all top scores nationally.

When it comes to giving something back, KPMG has an impressive record. Last year, more than 4.500 staff continued 43,000 hours to serve the community, helping it gain a score of 64%, again best than every other firm. All staff can use half a day of company time per month to volunteer.

As far as pay and benefits are concerned, KPMG staff are the most satisfied on our list (67%). The company has a flexible benefits scheme, including childcare vouchers, medical insurance for the whole family and the opportunity to buy up to ten days’ additional holiday. There are occupational health and employee assistance programmes, and an 11.9% contribution by the firm to the pension scheme.

There are many different aspects to job satisfaction. In its simplest form, job satisfaction relates to how happy or content a person is with their job. The challenging part is that satisfaction really is a relative term. What I mean is what satisfies one person may not satisfy another. Some individuals might be satisfied with just the money they are paid for the work they do, while others might need health benefits or job security to bring job satisfaction. It is possible that a combination of these elements (and others) can assist with job satisfaction. When we think of job satisfaction, we tend to think of the term in the context of the U.S. job satisfaction, but job satisfaction is a global issue and one all companies and countries work to understand. The main differences are what each culture considers an important aspect of job satisfaction, and how the individuals in the different cultures relate to or work with their organizations. To help show how relevant job satisfaction is in countries other than the United States, it is necessary first to see how employees in other countries rate how happy they are with the jobs they have. There have been numerous studies relating to job satisfaction in foreign countries. We must take a moment to understand that the results of these surveys are tied to the time when the survey was taken and who was responding to the survey. You see, areas such as wages or gender equality or even job safety are all part of job satisfaction, and if a survey was done on a day or week where individuals received a raise, they might be happier with their jobs. On the other hand, if the surveys are done after an accident in a plant, the survey results might be very different. Still, we need to take this type of information and see what it tells us. It is important to note that job satisfaction is not tied to how developed or how large, or how rich a country is but rather how happy individuals are working at their jobs in different countries. In many cases, the results of this type of information are tied to the relationship the employee has with the company (the cultural aspects of that relationship). However, it can also include how much government is involved with ensuring workers are content.

To look at job satisfaction in foreign countries, we have to look at the entire picture of what makes someone happy in their job. For example, in Germany in 2012, the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in 20 years (and that makes people happy), and employees in Germany average approximately 30 days of vacation each year. However, the focus of job satisfaction runs deeper than just holidays, vacation and unemployment. The German workers actually have a say in pay structure, the technologies they will use and even have a representation in the boardroom. It’s easy to understand that these aspects (coupled with the others I’ve just mentioned) help promote job satisfaction because the German workers have a say in what the company does. Do you think you would be happier at your job if you had as much say in business as the German workers do? Now let us go across the globe to Japan, where job satisfaction is much lower. The reason for this is there is a great deal of stress put on Japanese workers to obtain goals. This stress leads to Japanese workers not being satisfied with their jobs because the pressure to perform outweighs job satisfaction. This issue goes to another level when we consider the involvement of the human resources departments in Japanese firms. These departments must deal with individuals not obtaining their goals and being forced to make harsh decisions when goals are not met. As anyone could tell, that would not lead to a tremendous amount of job satisfaction (the pressure to perform coupled with the human resources actions required), and this makes for a challenging corporate culture. Keep traveling with me now as we go to Saudi Arabia. In this male-dominated culture, employees are generally happy with their jobs. They do get the support and direction they need, and for the most part, enjoy going to work. However, an issue arises when we look at the female portion of the employee landscape. As a whole, women are not happy with promotions they receive or the compensation they have. Being able to move up in an organization or obtain more money are aspects of job satisfaction anywhere in the world, and in Saudi Arabia, women are not happy with the shortcomings of these two areas. This pushes the overall job satisfaction level down for the Saudi Arabian worker.

Almost all of civilization’s food supply depends greatly on crop pollination by tiny bees. These workers serve not only their queen but most life on earth. Employees are as vital to any business as worker bees are for a hive. But people don’t generally serve any employer or company with blind loyalty. Luckily for small business owners a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management has revealed the top 5 factors that lead to employee satisfaction. Number 5. Good relationships with immediate supervisors. 54% of respondents say a good relationship with their superiors is a key to their satisfaction. No one ever wants to feel overworked and underappreciated. Maintaining positive working relationships in the office is a crucial way to have lower level employees know that they are an important part of the team. Number 4. Good communication between employees and management. 57% say good communication is key to satisfaction in the workplace. Just like in any relationship the ability to communicate clearly and positively is a key component to any company success. Good communication is a way to cultivate, and open, and create a work environment. Poor communication, on the other hand, has proven to stifle creativity and innovation as employees can be reluctant to voice concerns and ideas because of a fear of repercussions. Number 3. Compensation. Number 3 here should come as no surprise. After all, most of us aren’t waking up extra early, commuting and spending all day in the office out of charity. And while 60% say a vital part to employee satisfaction is their pay, only 58% say they are happy with their compensation. If your business can afford it, paying employees good wages is an effective way of investing into your company’s future. Number 2. Job security. Of course, what good is compensation if you don’t know how long you’ll be employed in the first place. Job security was rated as the number one factor to employee satisfaction in 5 previous studies since 2002. So its relegation to number 2 is actually an indication of optimism in the job market. And, number 1. Ability to use skills and abilities. Above and beyond anything else employees want to feel useful and able to utilize their abilities. 63% say this is the key to their satisfaction. With the economy on a gradual upswing the issue of job security is taking a back seat to workers’ need to contribute in constructive ways. People who join your company want to help you achieve your vision, nurture and encourage their strengths and talents. Let them shine and there will be plenty of honey to go around. Remember the whole bee thing? Yeah …

Business leaders around the world have remained concerned about retaining good people, even in the depths of recession. A global survey by Hay Group, a consultancy, concluded: «While employees fear losing their jobs, organisations fear the loss of top talent and critical skills.» Amid signs of economic recovery, but with cost constraints сontinuing, employers are looking at alternatives to financial incentives. Offering employees greater control over working time and location is one such option.

КPMG, for example, is examining new approaches, after the success of its «Flexible Futures» programme in signing up employees for taking a year off or working reduced weeks. Roughly 85 per cent of the 10,000 UK staff volunteered at the start of last year. Approximately 800 people moved temporarily to four-day weeks. The firm saved £4m last year, or the equivalent of 100 full-time jobs, says Michelle Quest, UK head of people.

When the programme was relaunched for this year, 71 per cent volunteered, «One of the softer benefits is moving the whole idea of flexible working up the agenda for everybody,» says Ms Quest. The firm is now considering more active promotion of job sharing, because this type of arrangement provides all-week cover for clients.