Dive Brief:
- Experts Exchange, a technology professionals’ network, surveyed 20,000 of its members and found that a solid majority liked their jobs, says Forbes. A majority, 72%, of respondents said they felt appreciated at their job, one of the best indicators of job satisfaction.
- The survey also found that 56.1% of the respondents worked in the technology industry, as opposed to government, healthcare or education. When asked whether their job had a good work-life balance, 71% said yes. Almost half of the respondents, 49.1%, said that unrealistic expectations frustrated them the most about coworkers. The most difficult part of their job, said 43.1%, was sitting for long hours.
- In a random survey of tech professionals, Forbes asked for their thoughts on job satisfaction. A director at a Fortune 500 HR tech firm said she got to be a creative problem solver at work, who never gets bored. A woman at an Internet company in Washington, D.C. said she gets to fix and make things, and that the tech industry appreciates creativity and energy. A senior finance manager at LinkedIn in Silicon Valley said she liked working at home so she could be with her family.
Dive Insight:
Research has shown that when employees are satisfied on the job, they’re engaged and far more productive than other workers, regardless of their avocation.
A slight majority of the Expert Exchange survey respondents were working in the tech industry, which might account for their high level of satisfaction. Studies like this can help HR look for ways to motivate employees based on their professions, skills, likes and challenges.
