How do you get satisfied employees?
I think there are several instances when a satisfied worker can be both satisfied and productive and other occasions were they would be satisfied but for the most part unproductive. I think many of the reasons for these outcomes have to do with motivation and the application of goals. The employee needs to have some sort of internal motivation and at the same time have goals that are both equitable to the employee and to the company. When a worker sets goals that are both challenging and rewarding there is more motivation to complete the tasks associated with a particular goal. If applied correctly, the combination of these two factors will generate productive work that is beneficial for all of the parties involved. The employees will be paid for the work and find it satisfying because the challenge was met, and the employer will have a happy employee who produced the required number of widgets or output for the job. A good example of how this would work can be seen in most sales organizations. If all of the employees basic needs are met, and the working environment is conducive to promoting health and wellness then you will probably see a lot of satisfied sales reps being productive. The idea is to set challenging goals and objectives with the input of both the employee and the employer. For most sales people this will be a sufficient challenge that will motivate them to meet those goals.
On the flip side of the coin we can run into a situation were the goals are not very challenging or rewarding, and at the same time do not have to not necessary have any negative outcomes associated with them. You may find an employee who is mildly satisfied and for the most part unproductive. A person will low internal motivation, and low standards that lacks any internal drive might be content with any type of goal even if it does not require them to work hard. In this instance you would have an employee who is ok with taking a paycheck for doing their “job.” In reality, they didn’t perform much of anything and production was low. The company suffers through having to pay someone and not getting the desired output. An hourly security guard who gets paid to keep and eye on things may be satisfied with their hourly wage, will probably not be participating in a whole lot of organizational citizenship or performing tasks that are outside of the basic job requirements.
