Is job happiness a myth?

Few people claim to be happy workers, or satisfied with their company or job.

Sudipta Dev wonders whether job happiness is a myth.


Why do some people find their jobs gratifying while others are constantly nagged by dissatisfaction at their workplace? Since most of our waking hours are spent at work, it is imperative to find out the factors that determine job happiness. Evidently, it is all about the gap between reality and expectations, but the issue is much more complicated than it appears. While job satisfaction is found to be low wherever expectations are very high, most people also believe that they can do better in other organisations. They are haunted by the grass-is-greener syndrome, and find their own work a grind. The key to job happiness is finding the right equation between one's mindset and external factors. This is of particular significance for the Indian IT/ITeS industry where job-hopping is common, notwithstanding the salary hikes and a fairly evolved HR system.


How one gets along with one's boss is an essential factor for job happiness, according to a survey conducted by Accountemps, a US-based staffing service. The survey, carried across the thousand largest companies in that country, revealed that as many as 43 percent of people rated their relationship with their manager as an important determinant of job happiness. The other factors included workload and responsibilities (24 percent), compensation and/or benefits (19 percent), relationship with co-workers (6 percent), and company performance (5 percent). According to Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Motivating Employees for Dummies, employees are most productive when they feel that their contributions are valued and their feedback is welcomed by the management. Stronger relationship with the staff is essential to keep them happy.


Another survey conducted by Prof Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick concluded that an individual's position is a major cause of job happiness. The rank of a staff member compared with others increases his/her happiness and is a pointer to pride associated with the position.
In their celebrated book The Art of Happiness at Work, His Holiness The Dalai Lama and psychiatrist Dr Howard Cutler have stated that there are three categories of workers: those for whom the job is just a means of getting a pay cheque; those who see it as an advancement or social status; and those who view it as a calling. The third category of people love their work for its own sake, and are the most motivated.

Combination of factors

Most experts agree that job happiness is a culmination of both external factors and the individual's mindset. Says HR expert Ullhas Pagey, 'During the initial stages of a career, work satisfaction gets governed more by the external set of factors such as the workplace environment, benefits, facilities, opportunities to work overseas, compensation, etc, but as one moves along intrinsic factors become more important.' But he concedes that it is more contingent on one's socio-economic background, and the motivation profile which varies from individual to individual.

'A person's state of mind and external factors cannot be separated. In fact, external factors affect/alter an individual's state of mind to a great extent. Companies need to monitor both, and can use individual mindsets as a barometer of external factors, and act accordingly,' says Ajay Oberoi, senior vice-president, HR and administration, Aptech.

The pay factor

It is obvious that the pay packet is a key to job happiness, particularly in the early stages of one's career when money is the sole motivator. As one climbs the career graph, other factors start gaining equal significance.

Oberoi believes that to a large extent satisfaction/happiness is directly related to the salary. 'If we build a hierarchy of factors for employee satisfaction/happiness, in today's era of consumerism and materialism, salary will form the base of the pyramid.' He asserts that the pay packet continues to be relevant even at later stages as it is considered a yardstick of appreciation.

Employee satisfaction surveys

Is it possible for employee satisfaction surveys to accurately reflect this satisfaction level? Answers Oberoi, ' Such surveys do give trends and indications. However, for better understanding of real feelings, surveys need to be supported/followed by focused group discussions (FGD) and skip level discussions (SLD). At Aptech we follow the sequence of environment survey and FGD/SLD.'

What makes employee satisfaction surveys a much-awaited event is the fact that it is an opportunity for employees to air their views and grievances. The organisation in turn makes these surveys a basis for chalking out plans for the betterment of its employees and its own health. The surveys have to be a top-management initiative, but it is typically the HR people who have to build the right kind of environment to conduct it.

What can HR do?

HR departments in most IT organisations are faced with similar challenges:
curbing attrition, increasing employee morale and productivity, finding the right job fit, etc. All these factors are directly related to the happiness levels of employees.
'The HR department is the custodian of employee satisfaction. It conducts the satisfaction survey and communicates the results to a select/broad population of the company. In companies where HR processes are matured, the department suggests remedies for satisfaction improvement and drives various initiatives for it,' says Oberoi. He adds that real success in improving employee satisfaction will be achieved when the HR department can successfully involve middle and top management to implement employee engagement processes and build a transparent, retribution-free culture. HR managers need to be seen as role models for the values professed by the company, and ensure that the leadership walks the talk.
Pagey notes that though HR can play a very important role in ensuring employee empowerment, in most organisations HR people are more occupied with carrying out routine activities than engaging themselves in value-adding activities. 'Also, mid-sized organisations have low expectations from HR, and often the CEOs themselves are not much aware of the proactive role which HR can play.'

It is a tough task for today's HR department to ensure job satisfaction among staff. Employees are not just happy with a fat pay cheque, a good position and perks; they also want a constant feeling of well-being, demand better work/life balance, and look to the organisation for fulfilling even their community needs. These heightened expectations result in dissatisfaction, and finding true job happiness remains an unfulfilled dream'all the job-hopping notwithstanding.