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What is Job Satisfaction?

Lead consultant at Test Partnership, Ben Schwencke, explains job satisfaction.

1:00 Quickly understand job satisfaction.

Job satisfaction is an individual's overall evaluation of their job, including their feelings and attitudes towards their work, their colleagues and their organisation. It is the extent to which an individual feels positive or negative towards their job.

Job satisfaction can be influenced by various factors such as pay, benefits, working conditions, the nature of the work itself, the social environment, and the relationship with the supervisor.

Job satisfaction is closely aligned to other psychological constructs such as employee engagement , and organisational commitment . Many employers will use these terms interchangeably. Job satisfaction can be measured through various methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observation.

Improving job satisfaction can lead to benefits such as increased productivity, better performance, improved employee retention, and a more positive organisational culture.

When job satisfaction suffers, organisations are likely to see a drop in morale, along with an accompanying increase staff turnover, absenteeism, and conflict between colleagues. Consequently, organisations often track their employees’ job satisfaction closely using annual surveys and questionnaires.