Job Satisfaction refers to the set of beliefs and feelings that an individual has regarding their current position and which indicates how content they are. Individuals who have high levels of job satisfaction tend to like working in their position, feel that they are being fairly treated and have strong beliefs regarding the favourable and desirable aspects of their job. The opposite applies for individuals who have low levels of job satisfaction; they do not appear to enjoy their job, feel that they are being treated unfairly and are generally unhappy about various aspects of their job.
Organizations should aim to ensure high levels of job satisfaction among their employees as it provides a positive influence on areas such as employee morale, motivation and performance. This positive influence is likely to lead employees to go the extra mile to help the organization to fulfill the organizational goals even when it may not be a necessary part of their job. They are likely to work longer hours and exert greater effort to complete an objective. It is also likely that there would be greater cooperation among employees, as individuals who have high levels of job satisfaction are more willing to assist co-workers.
Conversely, low levels of job satisfaction among an organization’s employees can lead to negative consequences for the organization. Low job satisfaction has been found to be associated with high levels of turnover. This can greatly harm the functioning of the organization as it can lead to the loss of essential talent within the organization. There are also associated costs with recruitment and training efforts to replace those employees who have left the organization.
