What aspects of our work influence job satisfaction?

Job satisfaction is important for all employees. Job satisfaction refers to how happy people are with their role and can affect work-related aspects such as job performance, organizational commitment, and citizenship behaviors.

There are various factors that limit job satisfaction. Some people may not have a job that fits their training, others may be unhappy with their workload, and some may dislike their coworkers and/or supervisor. Regardless of the factors affecting job satisfaction, leaders should strive to have satisfied workers, as happy workers are productive workers.

What can a leader do if people are unhappy? Thankfully, research is abundant in this area; in particular, the Job Characteristics Theory (JCT) provides insight into increasing employee satisfaction. The JCT outlines five aspects of jobs that affect how satisfied people are with their current role. These five core job dimensions are associated with higher motivation, job satisfaction, and performance, along with lower rates of absenteeism.

The first dimension is task significance. Task significance represents the extent to which the job provides opportunities to have a positive impact on the well-being of other people. If employees believe their work has a meaningful impact on others, they will feel more satisfied with their job.

The second dimension of JCT is task identity. Task identity refers to the extent that the job allows individuals to complete a whole, identifiable, visible piece of work from start to finish. Allowing individuals to work on a task from beginning to end, and helping them see how their work created a final product, facilitates job satisfaction.

A third dimension of JCT is skill variety, the extent to which the job necessitates a wide range of capabilities and talents. Workers who are required to utilize many skills within their tasks feel competent and capable, and thus have higher job satisfaction.

Another important dimension of JCT is autonomy. Autonomy represents the extent that the job provides freedom and discretion in how to do the work. Employees who have the ability to complete their tasks however they see, meaning they are not micromanaged, experience higher job satisfaction.

The final dimension of JCT is feedback, the extent to which employees receive clear, direct information about performance. By receiving feedback, employees know how effectively they are completing their tasks and how to correct and improve their performance.

These five critical aspects of jobs are important for anyone wishing to have a productive and satisfied workforce. When faced with problems of employee job satisfaction, organizations may want to consider how they can improve on these five aspects. By focusing on augmenting any, or all, of these job dimensions, organizational leaders can affect how employees view their jobs — which facilitates positive organizational outcomes.

Hackman, J. R., & Lawler, E. E. (1971). Employee reactions to job characteristics. Journal of Applied Psychology, 55(3), 259–286.