Americans don't dislike work quite as much as shows and movies that seek to capture the essence of the U.S. workplace — think the Office Space printer scene — might suggest.
According to a recent report based on a survey of 517 workers by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a whopping 88 percent of the nation's employees report "overall satisfaction" with their current jobs. That's the highest level of satisfaction in the past decade reports the trade group.
That's not to say people are so in love with their jobs that they can't fathom leaving. Only 17 percent said they are "very likely" to leave their current employer in the next year, while 22 percent called such a scenario "likely." The other 61 percent of respondents said they would probably not leave their organization in the near future, with about half of those calling it "very unlikely."
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What do workers believe are the most important drivers of a satisfying job? The most cited priority, identified by two-thirds of respondents, is a workplace where all employees — at all levels — are treated respectfully. Not far behind was compensation (63 percent), benefits (60 percent), and job security (58 percent).
"It is undeniable that compensation/pay, benefits and job security all shape the degree to which employees are satisfied; however, it is also noteworthy to mention that the extent of their importance fluctuates as a result of external factors such as changing economic conditions," said the report by SHRM.
Even though employees appear to largely be satisfied with their jobs, they are far from giving their employers top marks in those important areas. Just under a third reported being "very satisfied" with the treatment of employees and job security, and only 23 percent reported high satisfaction with compensation. Twenty-seven percent said the same of benefits.
There was no statistically significant difference in job satisfaction based on age, with nearly 90 percent of millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers reporting satisfaction with their jobs.
In fact, the report urged employers to be wary of generalizations about what millennials want. They're not so different from their elders, it suggested.
"Putting excessive focus on generational differences only perpetuates these false impressions," wrote the authors. "When designing training and development programs or benefits strategies, keep in mind other elements such as career level and life stage, not just age, to build an approach that is appropriate for various groups of employees."
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