Survey of Employee Satisfaction: How Has It Changed?

How are your workers responding to the global pandemic and our transitioning world? Are they frightened for their job security and overall health? Or are they focused on the re-openings of offices for various companies in America and worldwide? The epidemic has affected almost every part of life as we know it. It will continue to significantly impact national businesses, personal health, and economies.

SurveyMonkey and CNBC have done thorough research in their workforce survey. They connected with 9,059 professionals in the United States and weighted the data to reflect the composition of employed workers 18 and over, based on U.S. Census Bureau information. The survey considered age, race, sex, education, and geography. They explored the impact of the virus on employee satisfaction and trends. Analyzing participants’ answers led to quite a few findings, some of which were unexpected.

Nearly Half of the Employees Are Currently Remote

According to the survey, 48% of respondents reported that they are currently doing their jobs remotely. It has been the ideal setup for many employees for companies that could easily transition their staff to remote work. 44% of remote employees indicated they are happier to have their job now than before the virus outbreak. Additionally, there seems to be an immense sentiment that leadership and management teams are on the correct path. 88% of remote employees said they are confident that their organization’s leadership is making the right business decisions to manage the current environment.

Slight Increase in Employee Satisfaction

The Workforce Happiness Index revealed that despite COVID-19, 73 out of 100 people are happy with their jobs. This is slightly increased from last year when 71 people out of 100 reported employee satisfaction. Additionally, 54% of employees say they are “delighted” with their job, an increase from December 2019 when just 47% responded that way. Another exciting point compared the responses of people who reported their current happiness versus those that said they wished they had another job. In a better than the three-to-one margin (38% to 11%), more workers say they are more satisfied in their roles since the pandemic started than those who desire a different position.

Working Harder

More than half of all employees (54%) who took part in the survey say it has gotten “much harder” or “somewhat harder” to do their job effectively compared to the results before the pandemic. The mandate of remote work and the limited ability to meet in person and travel have forced organizations to be creative and utilize new technologies to maintain productivity. This could be an example of the effects and implications of instant, fast change. Companies have had to respond quickly, often changing their business models, customer service, and operations to meet newly imposed regulations without being able to implement effective change management strategies. This can impact workers’ job difficulty (or perceived difficulty) level.

Under normal circumstances, employee happiness within a position usually depends on various things. Due to the onset of the pandemic, people have had to reflect on many factors of their employment. Research from CNBC and SurveyMonkey has shown that almost half of all employees are remote, and there has been a minor increase in employee happiness since before the pandemic. Also, professionals have reported that due to the circumstances, they believe that their work has gotten harder. What is one thing that your organization could do to support your employees during this time?

Fly High Coaching is dedicated to helping you and your business succeed. We help to cut the costs of turnover and improve the performance of employees through coaching, consulting, and customized training services. Contact us today to get a FREE Vision of Success Session or check out our Corporate Coaching Services to learn what you can do now.