According to the Global Employee and Leadership Index, published by the consulting company Ennova, Denmark has the third highest level of job satisfaction in the world. The survey is based on 40,000 responses collected across 42 countries, including 5,000 from Denmark.
This is good news, because job satisfaction translates to greater efficiency and better quality, the report says. In short: Job satisfaction is good for the bottom line.
“When employees are happy to go to work, the result is less sick leave and better productivity. Happy employees simply work better,” confirms Per Tybjerg Aldrich, who has been researching work environment economics since 2005.
For every kroner a workplace invests in creating a good work environment in which employees can thrive, the workplace gets an average of two kroner back, one of his previous research projects shows.
“The figure is of course subject to some uncertainty, and you can easily find examples where the return is many times greater. The point is that it pays to invest in creating workplaces where employees feel good,” says Aldrich, who works as a market and project manager at Niras Joblife, and is currently a member of the government’s expert committee for the work environment.
It’s about béarnaise or whiskey sauce
The grocery company Coop has long since discovered the potential of happy employees.
“It’s a high priority for us that our stores are a place where our employees feel good. A place where they feel energised, where there’s a positive atmosphere, a sense of humour, and where they have plenty of drive – even when it’s busy,” says work environment manager Thomas Hermann.
“It all boils down to something as simple as this: When you go down to your local Brugsen store and ask our staff whether you should choose a béarnaise or whiskey sauce for your steak, they should be able to look you in the eye and answer with genuine energy and interest. And that energy is driven by well-being. If they don’t feel good, they won’t be able to answer that question properly,” says Hermann.
In other words, happy employees provide a better customer experience. And good customer experiences make the shopping basket heavier and result in more visits to the store.
“There’s no doubt whatsoever that it pays to invest in creating a high level of well-being and satisfied employees. Customers will notice it right away. That’s what I hear from the 400+ shopkeepers I teach about work environment every year,” says Hermann.
A large organisation with around 40,000 employees such as Coop requires a strategic approach to ensure well-being. That’s why employees are asked every year to give their thoughts on their managers and how satisfied they are with their job. The results from the survey are used by each individual manager to draw up a plan to create high levels of well-being.
“There is absolutely no way that we can manage the well-being of the entire organisation centrally. This has to happen in the individual stores, and what we need to do to create happy employees can therefore vary greatly,” says Hermann.
He remembers one SuperBrugsen where several of the employees had started to become bored. The store manager discovered this with the help of the survey, and in collaboration with the employees, she made their working days more interesting by expanding their work areas. For example, one cashier was given responsibility for keeping the fruit and veg section clean and tidy whenever the store was quiet.
“It’s this kind of small and specific change that can occasionally help to maintain a high level of well-being. It’s about the individual manager listening to their people. And in this case, it’s easy to see the financial benefits of a fruit and veg section that looks appealing,” he says.
Job satisfaction is based on good jobs
The reason for the high level of job satisfaction among Danes is also largely because we have interesting jobs. The report from Ennova concludes that the content of the work is what has the greatest influence on our job satisfaction. However, this also means that employees in dull jobs tend to look for new ones. Young people in particular are quick to apply elsewhere when their love of their job wanes, it says.
“When work tasks stop being challenging or interesting, and employees no longer think they are developing in their job, that’s when they start looking for other work,” writes Ennova.
“Retain good employees by focusing on their job satisfaction, give them interesting work tasks and acknowledge them when they do well. Pay special attention to young people and new employees, and be sure to have a conversation with them when personal anniversaries are approaching,” reads the advice.
Job satisfaction is basically not inherent to the individual employee. Aldrich points out that job satisfaction is created through good workplaces.
“It’s about creating a culture where employees see meaning in their work, have an influence on their tasks and receive feedback and support from their colleagues and bosses,” says Aldrich.
“Succeed here and you’ll see the effects in the financial results.”
