Your Job Satisfaction May Have More To Do With Who You Work With Than What You Do
As adults, we spend the majority of our waking hours at work. That means our experience at work determines a great deal of our happiness, or not. We teach our kids that finding their passion, finding the job they will love is the path to a happy life. If we can work on what we find interesting, we will have successful lives. But is the belief supported by science?
Maybe not. A new study from the University of Houston joins a growing body of research findings that job satisfaction has a lot more to do with the people we work with than it does with the actual work we do.
Bosses and coworkers are a big source of job stress.
American workers have reported consistently rising rates of job related stress in recent years. In 2019 a study from Korn Ferry found that employee stress levels had risen 20% over three decades. That same survey identified direct bosses as the most important source stress, according to 35% of respondents.
Another study in 2013 found that 83% of workers were stressed about work. In that survey one of the key sources of that stress after low pay was annoying coworkers (11% of respondents).
That makes sense, because in modern society our job is often the majority of our social interaction. Most of us spend more of our time with our coworkers than we do with our friends and family. Since the human nervous system is wired for social, particularly in the form of a “tribe,” those we work with have a tremendous impact on our life experience.
Does interest fit drive job satisfaction?
The Houston study aimed to clarify whether the common belief that ‘interest fit’ drives job satisfaction is correct. The idea is widely held, despite that fact that, “previous meta-analyses reported non-significant relations between interest fit and job satisfaction,” the authors wrote. They also pointed out that these past meta-analyses had statistical challenges. (Meta-analysis is a method that allows researchers to evaluate a wide body of data gathered from many different studies to get a better idea of what the evidence really shows.)
To sort out the situation, the research team did it’s own updated meta-analysis. They “systematically reviewed the link between interest fit and job satisfaction across 105 studies spanning over 65 years.” And they did find that whether people are interested in their job predicted job satisfaction, but not nearly as much as they had expected.
“Our main finding was that interest fit significantly predicts satisfaction, but it’s not as strong of a relation as people expect,” said Kevin Hoff, assistant professor of industrial-organizational psychology, in a press release. “Being interested in your work seems more important for job performance and the downstream consequences of performing well, like raises or promotions.”
Most of us remember taking a ‘vocational interest inventory’ at some point in our education. I took one in 7th grade that declared I would thrive as an actuarial or a librarian. It could not have been more wrong.
The practice of trying to guide people toward a job they will love by such inventories is so entrenched we rarely question it. That’s probably because we’ve been doing it for 80 years. Career interest assessments were first used to help people find satisfaction in their work in the 1940s.
The practice is not entirely misguided. After all, the study found that whether your interests align with what you do at work is strongly correlated with how successful you will be. “Our results show that people who are more interested in their jobs tend to be slightly more satisfied, but interest assessments are more useful for guiding people towards jobs in which they will perform better and make more money” said Hoff.
If it’s not interest, what does drive job satisfaction?
So if you find your work interesting, you are more likely to be successful. But you might still hate your job. Why? Because of your social experience.
“Things that lead to satisfaction include the organization you work for, your supervisor, colleagues and pay,” said Hoff.
On the one hand, that takes some of the pressure off young people who have been told they must find their passion. “To be satisfied with a job, you don’t have to worry too much about finding a perfect fit for your interests because we know other things matter, too. As long as it’s something you don’t hate doing, you may find yourself very satisfied if you have a good supervisor, like your coworkers, and are treated fairly by your organization,” said Hoff.
And therein lies the challenge: finding an organization where you feel valued and a good experience with your boss and coworkers.
It helps to feel valued.
The American Psychological Association has identified feeling valued by one’s employer as a crucial piece for job satisfaction. In one of their studies, people who report feeling valued by their employer were “significantly more likely to report they are motivated to do their very best for their employer (93% vs. 33%).”
Feeling valued is so important, that in some studies it trumps compensation. In a pre-pandemic study done on 988 full-time members of the Mass General Hospital Department of Medicine, i.e. Harvard, found that whether the doctors felt they were well-paid well or not had no impact how satisfied they were with their jobs. So what did? They wanted to feel valued.
The MGH doctors identified three factors in job satisfaction: being treated with respect, feeling valued by their leadership, and feeling that the work environment was social and supportive.
“I think there’s no doubt that simply beginning to recognize how important promoting a sense of value and respect in the work environment is critical. And I think beginning to have these conversations begins to make you feel that the institution cares and that they’re trying,” said study author Arabella L. Simpkin, M.D., MMSc, Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, in an interview.
In the end then it’s not enough to find work we like; we need a supportive environment with colleagues. That is certainly consistent with findings across scientific domains: humans need positive social interactions in an ongoing way. It may take some pressure off to know that finding the perfect subject for our interest is not strictly necessary if we can find the right social environment.
But imagine how satisfying the workplace can be when these two factors are combined? Humans connect in a particularly powerful way when we work with people we link on a shared interest. Job satisfaction links to a collegial environment, and such satisfaction drives a motivation to do our best work, which we do best when we are interested in it.
The workplace that successfully combines shared mission with a sense of personal belonging might just be unstoppable.
Related Blogs
-
May 24, 2024Gen Z vs Millennials…
As a recruitment agency, we know that In today's workplaces, two main groups stand out: Generation Z and Millennials. Generation Z, born from the late..
-
May 17, 20245 Reasons HR is…
Human resources and recruitment are often not taken into serious consideration by different departments of the company. However, in this article, we would like to..
-
Sep 15, 2023Employee Well Being –…
Employee Well Being - HR Function which evolves to a full time dedicated role for Organizations who invest in their employees. HR Executives are giving..
-
Mar 17, 2023Tips To Engage And…
The role of a Human Resources (HR) professional can vary depending on the organization and the specific job title. From identifying the most suitable of..
-
Feb 3, 2023How HR Professionals Can…
Some could easily argue that the human resources (HR) department is not a "revenue-generating" service. We don't create new products, interface with the traditional customer daily, or..
-
Dec 16, 2022Five Wounds That Hold…
One silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the surge in creative ways that organizations found to survive and succeed under dire circumstances. But..
-
Dec 2, 2022Why Startup Companies Need…
Developing an active HR function in your business show that you value your employees and their business in your enterprise Growing startups and small and..
-
Nov 4, 2022Your Company’s Greatest Investment…
In this competitive market, companies are struggling to not only retain but also grow their talent pools as they expand. Attractive salaries are important, but..
-
Oct 27, 202210 Tips to Motivate…
Nothing is better for the bottom line than employees who are motivated to work for psychic benefits. Are you looking for ways to motivate your..
-
Oct 21, 202212 Practical Steps To…
In our world in general, but especially in the workplace, change is a continual presence. Whether it's driven by new technology, shifts in the market,..
-
Sep 30, 2022How To Successfully Promote…
Businesses used to have a relatively easy time finding talented employees to fill all their job vacancies. That changed in 2021 when 47.4 million workers voluntarily..
-
Sep 9, 2022How To Motivate People…
As a startup founder, you’d usually spend a large part of your time trying to get various people to do new things. On one side,..
-
Sep 2, 2022Don’t Give Up On…
“Why do we keep following the process if it doesn’t work?” You’ve probably heard something to the effect of this before or have even said..
-
Jun 24, 2022How to Know It’s…
HR activities at startups are often reactive in nature instead of proactive. That leaves gaps in the system. When starting their businesses, most entrepreneurs tend..
-
May 27, 2022When a Leader Is…
Not long ago, I received a call from an HR manager at a large corporation seeking an executive coach for one of their senior leaders...
-
Feb 25, 2022Go Ahead, Reveal Your…
Talking about office disasters is key to better productivity and healthy competition. We all have our share of office-related horror stories. From the incorrect market..
-
Jan 21, 2022Can HR People Have…
A reader asks: I recently got a new job in HR at a small (under 100 people) company. This is my first job in the HR..
-
Nov 19, 2021What Super Productive People…
In 2018, I came across a meme that was going viral on the Internet. It read, “You have the same number of hours in the day..
-
Nov 12, 2021How to Create a…
Creating a learning culture in the workplace is all about fostering an environment that empoweres people to pursue knowledge. This is important for individual evolution,..
-
Nov 5, 20215 Generations in the…
When the world seems more divided than ever, uniting generations within the workplace can create an advantage for your business. Every night, I turn on..
-
Oct 22, 2021What To Do When…
Let’s face it: Failing sucks. But lately, I seem to be doing it more than usual. Okay, that’s dramatic. The truth is that I’m making..
-
Sep 3, 2021How To Lead Meetings…
It is crucial to tap into the different personality traits in your workplace to cultivate a supportive, inclusive atmosphere. There are extensive studies in personality..
-
Jun 4, 2021HR Transformation: Why Diversity,…
If there’s one thing the pandemic has brought into clear focus, it’s what each of us considers important—especially at work. Diversity, equity and inclusion, and..
-
May 21, 2021The Two Levels Of…
Faced with increasing challenges, there are new shifts and changes in today’s corporate world. High levels of competition, new technological advances, demographic adjustments, political turbulence,..
-
May 14, 2021How To Manage Anxiety…
If you’re anything like me, you’ve found yourself in a situation like this a few times over the last year. A friend invites you to..
-
Apr 9, 2021Five Things Your Boss…
Your boss may be extremely clear in spelling out your job expectations, setting goals, adding to your do-list and measuring your performance, but she may..
-
Apr 2, 2021How To Create An…
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused several changes in the workplace and future work behavior. With several countries going into lockdowns, every sector was required to..
-
Feb 26, 2021Why Every Organization Today…
It’s time all organizations make what could be the most strategic decision in decades regarding organizational structure: Move the learning and talent development functions out..
-
Feb 12, 2021How to Collaborate in…
How to adopt the “us versus the problem” rather than a “you versus me” mind-set. Your first step in resolving a conflict should be to..
-
Feb 5, 2021The First Four Things…
Ever find that it’s noon and you haven’t accomplished anything on your to-do list? Get a productive jump-start on the day with these tasks. I..
-
Jan 22, 20216 Signs Your Teammates…
You can hire the best team in the world, but if they can't communicate well, you won't get very far. A business owner I know..
-
Dec 18, 2020How to Give Creativity…
Today’s organizations spend considerable time and energy selecting and recruiting creative talent. And rightly so. Creative employees help their organizations survive and remain relevant in..
-
Dec 11, 202014 Key Steps To…
As a member of a team, you have a responsibility to help your co-workers, just as you’d expect them to offer assistance when you need..
-
Oct 23, 2020Your Guide to your…
You walk through the revolving door of the lobby toward the elevator, soaking in your surroundings—there’s not a familiar face in the building. You straighten..
-
Aug 21, 2020New Study Shows Forming…
“Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone,” goes the song. For decades, singers have crooned about the power of smiling..
-
Jul 3, 2020Consistency Is the One…
Consistency Is the One Rule in Building a Great Company Culture Company culture is a topic that’s been often explored by entrepreneurs and business analysts, but..
-
Jun 12, 2020Why Empathy Is One…
Why Empathy Is One of the Most Overlooked Skills in Business It was a sunny day in April. The air was crisp and the walk..
-
Jun 5, 2020How The COVID-19 Crisis…
How The COVID-19 Crisis Has Made HR One Of The Most Important Jobs Today n a matter of only a few months, the world as..
-
Feb 28, 2020Your Company Might Offer…
Your Company Might Offer High Salaries, But Does It Have Soul? It’s a well-established stereotype that large-scale companies are about as approachable as a concrete..
-
Feb 21, 2020Benefits of Stay Interviews
Retain More Employees With Stay Interviews Employees are quitting in droves, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, backed up by hard data from..
-
Jan 17, 2020Meeting Don’ts
8 Things You Should Not Do In Meetings Meetings are perhaps the most powerful personal branding tool there is—when you master them. They also make..
-
Nov 22, 2019Spend your day wisely
How To Spend Your Working Day Wisely And Actually Get Things Done Time doesn’t discriminate. The CEO of a Fortune 500 company with an overloaded..
-
Oct 25, 2019Super power at Work
What Is Your Super Power At Work? Do you know that every person who works for you has a super power? Well, they do. Superman..
-
Sep 27, 2019The Interview Question
The Interview Question You Need To Answer Right: ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ “I bombed the interview.” This was a message I got from a brand..
-
Sep 20, 2019Belonging At Work
Belonging At Work Is Essential—Here Are 4 Ways To Foster It In the complex study of human psychology, one finding is remarkably consistent: our well-being..
-
Aug 23, 2019Great First Impression
How To Make A Great First Impression At Your New Job You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it count...
-
Aug 16, 2019Purpose And Values
How To Connect With Your Company's Purpose And Values Some employees feel fully inspired by their company's mission, vision and values. But they don’t just mindlessly glug the Kool-Aid—they connect on a deep,..
-
Jul 5, 2019Overloaded And Overwhelmed?
Overloaded And Overwhelmed? Four Things You Can Control When Your Workload Is Out Of Control Our research indicates a terrifying 43% of knowledge workers do..
-
Jun 7, 2019Five Things Employees Want
The Five Things Employees Really Want I haven't managed to catch all the episodes of Undercover Boss this season, but there was one I knew..
-
May 31, 2019Thrive At Work
6 Steps To Unleash Your Inner Polymath And Thrive At Work In a previous article I explored some of the virtues of striving for a..
-
May 24, 2019Successful and Happy
The One Daily Action That Will Make You More Successful And Happier At Work In our fast-paced world where we have more to do than..
-
May 3, 2019Great Employees
What It Takes To Be A Great Employee: The Parable Of The Oranges Being a great employee pays off with better positions, higher pay, and..
-
Apr 25, 2019Your first Job
10 Essential Strategies To Succeed In Your First Job Congratulations, graduate! After the exhausting and stressful process of finishing school, searching for and landing your..
-
Apr 19, 2019Starting a New Job?
When You Start a New Job, Pay Attention to These 5 Aspects of Company Culture When you join an organization, you have a short window..
-
Apr 12, 2019How To Escape Procrastination
How To Escape The Procrastination Doom Loop When you imagine a highly productive person, you likely think of someone who focuses effortlessly on the job..
-
Apr 5, 2019Exceptional Employees
8 Clues That a Candidate Will be an Exceptional Employee Over the past 40 years, I have reviewed at least 30,000 resumes and LinkedIn profiles..
-
Mar 22, 2019Increase Employee Retention
4 Smart Ways to Increase Employee Retention Keeping your employees once you have them is a thorny problem in the staffing services industry. The difficulty..
-
Mar 15, 2019Things Happen!
Here's How To Recover From A Career Setback Whether you’ve botched an interview question, cancelled an important meeting last-minute or missed a typo in an..
-
Feb 15, 2019Workplace Diversity
In an 8-Minute Animated Film, Pixar Just Captured Why Companies Still Struggle With Workplace Diversity Yes, it's a movie about a pink ball of yarn--but..
-
Jan 25, 2019Effective Job Interview
How to conduct an effective job interview As the employment market improves and candidates have more options, hiring the right person for the job has..
-
Dec 14, 2018Stay Focused Through the…
14 Ways to Stay Focused at Work Through the Holidays We’re in the midst of the holiday season, and as you try to juggle parties,..
-
Dec 7, 2018Great Employees Leave Great…
Why Great Employees Leave “Great Cultures” “We have a great culture.” We have all heard it. We have all said it. But what does that..
-
Nov 30, 2018On-the-Job Training
Young Workers No Longer Get the On-the-Job Training They Need -- So They're Finding It Elsewhere With companies training people less, the most valuable path..
-
Nov 23, 2018Help Your New Hires…
3 Ways You Can Help Your New Hires to Succeed Filling a vacant position is expensive, and unless you do these three things, it's liable..
-
Nov 15, 2018A Successful Meeting
Three Ways To Prevent Someone From Stealing Your Spotlight In A Meeting We've all been there at one point or another. You're in a meeting,..
-
Nov 2, 2018When should managers overlook…
Why managers should overlook results in these situations By focusing on culture and people first, you can set your team up for success in the..
-
Oct 12, 2018Integrators VS Segmentors
Are your employees integrators or segmentors? An organization has both integrators and segmentors. Being a segmentor is a tough ask. If you choose to be..
-
Oct 5, 2018Help Your Team Members…
Help Your Team Members Succeed (Especially When They're Tempted to Leave) Help that valued employee being lured by another opportunity think through what they are..
-
Sep 28, 2018Avoid Toxic Team Members
Are You Hiring a 'Team' Player -- or Someone Just Looking out for No. 1? How can leaders make sure they're not unwittingly inviting a..
-
Sep 21, 2018What Motivates You to…
What Motivates You to Work? That paycheck will never be big enough if it's the only reason you're going to work. Each of us respond..
-
Aug 10, 2018Avoid Summer Slump
How To Improve Productivity For Yourself And Your Team This Summer July and August are historically bad months for productivity. It might be the warm..
-
Aug 3, 2018Emotional Intelligence at Workplace
How To Develop More Emotionally Intelligent Employees In the quest to develop leaders who will foster a culture of equity and inclusion in the workplace,..
-
Jul 20, 2018Rewarding Employees Wisely
5 Ways to Reward Employees When Raises Aren't an Option Many workers are doing double duty these days because employers either can’t afford to hire..
-
Jun 8, 2018Back On Track
How to get back on track when you’re having an unproductive day A rocky start shouldn’t dictate your entire workday. Do these things to reverse..
-
Jun 1, 2018Value of Office Communication
Why Office Communication is Highly Valued and Often Ignored A huge number of employees don't trust their bosses, and it's not hard to figure out..
-
May 25, 2018Impacts of High Turnover
The Negative Impacts of a High Turnover Rate High turnover rates can negatively affect a company and its employees in many ways. With the constant..
-
May 11, 2018Employee Onboarding Strategies
Seven New Onboarding Strategies You'll See This Year According to a study from Equifax, more than half of all employees who left their job in..
-
Apr 5, 2018Inclusion in the Workplace
Inclusion Doesn’t Mean Including Everything and Everyone Inclusiveness is not about thought policing. It’s also not about turning everyone into a liberal. It’s a normal..
-
Mar 23, 2018Employees Feel and Act…
7 Ways to Incent Employees to Feel and Act as Owners Building accountability into your business culture is a leadership process. It can't be driven..
-
Mar 16, 2018Don’t Shuffle People Into…
Don't Shuffle People Into the Wrong Job Just Because They're Already on the Payroll You grow your company by putting proven performers where you need..
-
Feb 26, 2018Minimise Workplace Negativity
Tips for Minimizing Workplace Negativity To Deal with Negativity in the Workplace, Use These 9 Tips Nothing affects employee morale more insidiously than persistent workplace..
-
Feb 9, 2018The future Workspace
Why a Coffee Shop Will Probably Be Your Workspace Within 10 Years As the gig economy grows, there are both social and scientific reasons why..
-
Jan 19, 2018First Hour, Day, Week,…
Do This In Your First Hour, Day, Week, And Month Of Your New Job Getting settled into your new job is the ultimate act of..
-
Dec 29, 2017Grateful Workplaces and Engaged…
Grateful Workplaces and Engaged Employees All leaders need to ask themselves why happy and engaged employees are worth their weight in gold. If you’re a..
-
Dec 15, 2017Employee stress during Christmas
Managing employee stress during the festive period More than half of employees feel stressed in the weeks leading up to Christmas, with most calling for..
-
Nov 17, 2017Employee Appraisals
Importance of Effective Employee Appraisals The performance appraisal may be one of the few times during the year where an employee and the reviewer, typically..
-
Nov 2, 2017The workplace is changing
From Cubicle To Coffee Shop - How The Workplace As We Know It Is Changing In the past few years we have seen a major..
-
Oct 13, 2017Working for small companies
Why You Should Consider Working For A Small Company Eighty-four percent of small-business employees are happy in their current job, according to the 2017 Aflac..
-
Oct 6, 2017HR’s key role in…
HR's key role in enlightened office design HR magazine and Landid's roundtable on the workspace of tomorrow explored how HR can positively influence facilities management..
-
Sep 22, 2017Workplaces still hamper productivity
Workplaces still hamper productivity Noise, lack of privacy and space are some of the factors causing the greatest dissatisfaction among office workers Nearly half of..
-
Aug 25, 2017Top 10 Benefits Of…
Top 10 Benefits Of A Workplace Wellness Program When Google opened up in the 90s it took a unique approach to employee satisfaction. In an..
-
May 2, 2017Employee Burnout
What causes burnout and how it can affect both the employees and the organisation How HR Can Help Prevent Employee Burnout An engaged workforce. It's..