Employee satisfaction: building a happier workforce

This eBook offers the latest insight and expert advice on what employee satisfaction means, how to understand it, and ways that organisations can achieve better levels of workplace happiness.

2 mins read
I Stock 1370642422

​In the wake of the Covid pandemic, Reed decided to investigate the subject of employee satisfaction to find out what people most want from their working lives. We surveyed 2,000 employees in a variety of sectors to do this.

Key findings from the survey revealed:

  • 24% of workers are planning on changing jobs in the next two years

  • Over a third (36%) feel their pay is too low for the work they do

  • Workplace friendships are the most satisfying element of working for their current company (45%), with flexibility of working hours (40%) and salary (33%) closely following

  • Two thirds (65%) stated their company does not offer rewards for good performance

This eBook looks primarily at the ingredients of employee satisfaction: the measures to which managers should aspire to keep their workforce satisfied, also addressing the more aspirational theme of engagement. Throughout, experts in the field share their insight and methods for raising staff satisfaction, using tried and trusted ideas that might be useful to integrate into your organisation. 

Experts featured in this eBook include:

  • Carolyn Nevitte, Director, People Insight

  • Matthew McDonnell, Director of Employee Experience, Willis Towers Watson

  • Katie Whitehouse, HR Director UK&I, ServiceNow

  • Chris Brindley, Head of Reward & Co-member Experience, Reed

  • Niamh Macaskill, Head of People and Experience, Camelot

A happy workforce is a productive one and listening to employee views is the first step employers can take to make changes for the better.

By downloading this eBook, you will understand:

What employee satisfaction mean

As well as in their day-to-day tasks, staff satisfaction is closely linked to how an employee feels about a company’s style of management and organisational culture – the traits that define the business such as internal communication, staff development policies, and recognition of employee performance.

Key considerations in raising employee satisfaction

For satisfaction at work, employees need a direction and a sense of purpose that keeps them going. Therefore, leaders must be clear about their strategy and goals to help employees feel connected, valued and fulfilled. 

Best practice in designing a satisfaction survey

A well-designed, well-timed employee satisfaction survey can reap rewards for your business in the long term, maintaining a workforce that can be trusted to deliver. Surveys shouldn’t just be saved for times of hardship.

How to use survey data to implement change

One way to generate high employee satisfaction is to focus directly on those areas that matter most to employees – and regularly review them to ensure they remain relevant.

The future of employee satisfaction

To be an ‘employer of choice’ in the future, employers cannot merely offer competitive rewards, development opportunities, and healthy company culture. They’ll need to provide a consistently positive employee experience as well.

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Coaching for intersectional inclusion
9 mins read

Coaching for intersectional inclusion

​Everyone has multiple layers to their identity, and no one is one label. There are other aspects of their identities to consider, and no one should be put in a box. Many businesses, which celebrate Pride Month, for example, are perceived as not doing enough for people who are underrepresented in more than one way.

Recent research by Culture Amp in ‘The Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Report 2024’ found disabled women and black women are more doubtful of their employers’ equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDI&B) efforts than any other group.

This is likely because women might feel their entire identity and additional barriers aren’t being considered, if they are part of more than one underrepresented group. Some employers’ initiatives provide a base-level overview of inclusion for women, but they might only explore the perspectives of white women, for example, or women in general, with no specific solutions explored for LGBTQ+, disabled or black women, for instance. Each may have very different experiences of what it means to be a woman.

Coaching people within your organisation can help leaders and employees gain a deeper understanding of intersectionality and why it’s important. We interviewed Mary-Clare Race, CEO of Talking Talent, for her insight and best-practice tips on all things coaching and inclusion.

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Q: What's the difference between coaching, mentoring, and other types of training, especially when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging?

A: These terms are often used interchangeably in the world of talent development, but we see a clear distinction between them that is especially important when it comes to EDI&B.

In a training situation, the primary goal is typically to transfer knowledge from the facilitator to the participant, to raise their awareness and understanding of a particular topic or skill and provide them with practical tips on how to put that skill into action for themselves.

In a mentoring situation, there is also an element of knowledge transfer, but in a more personalised, relationship based, one-to-one situation where the mentee is paired up with a more experienced mentor who is there to provide them with support, advice and guidance.

Coaching takes the relationship-based approach one step further and focuses on supporting and facilitating the coachee to actively step in and facilitate their own outcomes. It is not about giving them the answer but rather supporting them to find their own answer, their own way forward.

At Talking Talent, we favour a coaching-led approach because it enables a deeper level of behavioural change. The coachee must be actively engaged and motivated to do the inner work on themselves and the coach is there to hold them to account. However, there is a role for all three approaches when it comes to solving EDI&B challenges and real power in combining all three.

Q: How can coaching help businesses become more inclusive and diverse?

A: If you look at what it takes to really move an organisation forward with their EDI&B strategy, we believe you've got to take a systemic approach and build inclusion into your culture and in how people behave every day.

There are several ways coaching can help with this:

Leadership behaviours: by working with a coach, leaders become more aware of their own biases, preferences and how their own identity shapes how they show up as a leader. The coach can help them develop the skills needed to foster a culture of inclusion and hold themselves and others accountable.

Developing talent: in many organisations there are pockets of talent who have been overlooked because of some aspect of their identity. Coaching-led programmes can support under-represented talent to thrive and overcome what may be holding them back so they can fulfil their true potential. And by offering coaching-led programmes that address the unique needs of underrepresented individuals, organisations demonstrate their commitment to supporting the needs of all their employees - thus driving retention and engagement levels up.

Improving culture: at the heart of culture change is the need to move behaviours forward at an organisational level. We believe coaching is the most powerful way to do this for an organisation - by helping individuals and groups develop the self-awareness, emotional intelligence and relational competency to work effectively in diverse teams and build inclusion into the culture.

Q: In your experience, why are diversity and inclusion initiatives so important to organisations and their talent attraction and retention?

A: In our industry, there's been significant backlash against EDI&B efforts, particularly in North America, and this sentiment seems to be growing globally. The issue often lies in viewing EDI&B initiatives as separate from core organisational culture. For me, EDI&B is about creating an environment where every individual, regardless of identity, can thrive and contribute fully. This isn't just about ticking boxes – it's critical for attracting and retaining talent, and crucial for overall business performance.

Ultimately, EDI&B isn't merely an add-on; it's integral to effective leadership and to building success at all levels of your organisation. It's about fostering authenticity, encouraging diverse perspectives, and empowering individuals to contribute their best work. These principles are essential for any business striving to maximise performance and leverage a diverse talent pool, regardless of their specific commitments or strategies. It's about creating a workplace culture where everyone can succeed and where the organisation benefits from the full potential of its people.

Q: Who should be coached in inclusion and diversity within an organisation? And why?

A: When considering who should be coached in inclusion and diversity within an organisation, it's crucial to view these efforts as integral to successful business practice. While not everyone needs individual coaching, it's essential to ensure all members of the organisation are engaged in the journey towards inclusivity.

For leadership teams, coaching can be particularly impactful in fostering a culture where inclusion is actively cultivated and practiced. Leaders can learn to demonstrate inclusive behaviours and set the tone for the entire organisation.

Additionally, focusing coaching efforts on groups that have historically faced barriers – such as women, marginalised ethnicities, or neurodivergent individuals – can be highly beneficial. By addressing systemic challenges these groups face, organisations can promote fairness and u