For an organisation to thrive higher, employees should be satisfied with what they do. Most companies strive for this, but not all attain this goal.

Ensuring employee satisfaction takes into account factors such as the environment, communication, payment and rewards, among others.

Whether an employee is satisfied or not, is a matter for human resource professionals to be deliberate about.

Job satisfaction is defined as the level of contentment employees feel with their job. This goes beyond their daily duties to cover satisfaction with team members or managers, satisfaction with organisational policies, and the impact of their job on employees’ personal lives.

Dave Asifiwe who works for a translation company says that there are a lot of factors that contribute to job satisfaction in an organisation.

"Job satisfaction is a level of contentment a person feels regarding his or her job and it can be influenced by a person’s ability to complete the required tasks, the level of communication in an organisation, and the way management treats employees,” he says. 

Other factors such as work environment, salary and benefits the employee receives, opportunities, leadership and security and so many others can contribute to an employee feeling satisfied with their job in an organisation and it’s a major key in the thriving of any organisation, Asifiwe adds.

Rita Ineza who works as a sales manager believes that when an employee is satisfied with their job, it helps the organisation to function properly.

"Employees are the ones who know what they need and how to be treated, approaching managers and HRs and sharing with them what they think is best to be done also helps because managers will have a clue on what their employees need to be satisfied,” she says, adding that, a happy and satisfied employee is a motivated one and fit to serve.

"Because such employees are highly motivated by that feeling and are able to work effortlessly, they can efficiently maximise their potential, thereby the organisation profiting from it. So it’s more of a win-win situation.”

What is the organisation’s role in this?

Employees can become more satisfied with their job when they know there is an individualised plan for them. 

Beyond the formal nature of appraisals, if there is a path in place for growth, this can encourage employees to stay happier for longer. It is a primary responsibility of organisations to ascertain that employees are satisfied with their jobs through measurements put in place. When employees feel there is a growth path for them, they are more satisfied, explains Asifiwe.

He adds that when employees feel that the organisation has their best interests at heart, they tend to support the organisation’s mission and objectives. When this happens, employees may tell their friends or relatives about the good nature of the organisation, which helps spread organisational goodwill so at the end of the day, if everyone in the organisation is satisfied, things run smoothly and there’s an increase in productivity and profits.

Alvine Mutako who works for a digital designing company says that organisations play a primary role when they support their employees and evaluate if they are satisfied because the downfall of a company is usually as a result of the poor performance of employees.

"It doesn’t take much effort to keep employees happy; they want to feel respected and trusted, while working in a safe environment, with good pay and opportunities to advance. When a company develops ways to deliver on these important factors, it can satisfy employees and help build a stronger workplace team.”