Do you know someone who truly loves their job? If you ask them what they like so much, chances are it’s not as simple as, “I make good money.” There are a lot of factors that contribute to workplace happiness besides money, and some of them might surprise you.
LinkedIn recently conducted a survey on workplace culture trends, delving into just what makes people love the work they do and want to stay with their current employers, and the results showed that money isn’t everything. In fact, an overwhelming 70 percent of respondents said they wouldn’t work at a top company if it had a bad workplace culture, even if the pay was good.
What exactly makes for a positive workplace? Here are four cultural factors that keep people happy and satisfied at work.
All About Balance
On the top of most employees’ wish lists is balance. In the survey, more than half of employees said they want to work for a company that is flexible and promotes work-life balance.
What does that mean, exactly? It varies from person to person, but think of things like not feeling obligated to answer emails outside work hours, not feeling guilty using your vacation time, allowing remote work when necessary, being understanding about family matters… the list goes on. It makes sense that people prioritize work-life balance—no one should feel as though they have to choose between work and having a fulfilling personal life.
Make Me Proud
People who love their jobs are generally proud of what they do and the bigger impact their company makes. In the LinkedIn survey, a whopping 87 percent of Americans said having pride in their company is of utmost importance.
Today, it’s not enough to just show up at work to collect a paycheck. Employees want to feel as though their work is making a positive impact on society. Respondents also noted that they want to work for a company that has the same values and ethics as they do. Close to 40 percent said they would leave a job where their boss asked them to do something they had a moral conflict with.
Benefits Beat “Perks”
Workplaces today often out their in-office “perks”—free snacks, game rooms, lounge areas, etc. However, if they had to choose, employees would rather have a solid benefit package over these types of freebies.
In the survey, 47 percent of respondents said they’d rather have time off during the holidays, learning and development programs, philanthropic opportunities than “perks.” It also revealed that strong workplace benefits was one of the driving factors in employee retention—paid vacation time, parental leave, health insurance and the like are essential for keeping workers happy.
We Want to Belong
No one wants to feel out of place, especially at work! After all, it would be incredibly disheartening to spend 40 hours a week in an office where you feel as though you aren’t accepted.
For these reasons, it’s really no surprise that nearly 50 percent of survey respondents said they value a culture where they can be themselves. People want a sense of belonging in the workplace—that isn’t too much to ask, is it?
What keeps you satisfied at work? Let us know below.
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