Mixed news on job satisfaction in New Zealand

One new survey suggests that most Kiwis are keen to change jobs in the New Year whereas another piece of research revealed that job satisfaction among Australians and New Zealanders is at its highest level in 12 years – who to believe?!

One new survey has scary news for employers wanting to retain current staff: most Kiwis are keen to change jobs in the New Year, according to Randstad’s World of Work Report.

But the latest piece of L.E.A.D. research has revealed that job satisfaction among Australians and New Zealanders is at its highest level in 12 years.

According to the Randstad study, just over 60% of New Zealand employees are planning on finding a new job in 2013 with 27% feeling less secure in their current position than a year ago. This last statistic registers a generational gap. While only 21% of Generation Y workers feel less secure this year, 40% of mature workers do.

The report also revealed some of the reasons why people are contemplating changing jobs:
 

  • An inability to grow professionally (40% listed this as a ‘major influencing factor’)
  • Uncompetitive salary (16%)
  • Being poorly matched to the job (8%)
  • Poor relationship with direct manager (8%)
  • Broken recruitment promises

“The research highlights the younger Generation Y through to baby boomers are all keen to progress their careers in the New Year,” Paul Robinson, director  Randstad said. This means that next year is shaping up to be a competitive one on the job market, he added.

On the other hand, the L.E.A.D. survey of more than 4,500 senior managers, middle managers and non-managerial employees in Australasia indicated that employees have not been this satisfied at work since 2000 (when the survey began). There have been significant jumps in job satisfaction since 2011 across the three surveyed groups:
 

  • 78% of senior managers are satisfied with their job (28% in 2011)
  • 60% of middle managers (37% in 2011)
  • 53% of employees (37% in 2011)

The organisers of the survey, Leadership Management Australasia, suggest that now is the time to capitalise on this level of satisfaction, and ‘static job seeking activity,’ to boost productivity and performance. “A focus needs to be put on maintaining these job satisfaction levels, in turn boosting productivity, stabilising the workforce by keeping their best people and being in the enviable position of attracting top talent from elsewhere,” Andrew Henderson, CEO LMA said.

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