Workplace Satisfaction Continues to Slide
Are you satisfied at work?
This past Q3 has come in as one of the worst quarters for bonuses, raises and promotions among US business professionals over the past two years, according to Office Pulse’s Quarterly Satisfaction Survey. Not surprisingly, boss likeability and workplace satisfaction also slid last quarter.
Affording Avocado Toast
Nearly one in five workers received a raise last quarter, though Millennials took home the majority of them.
Millennials
- received a raise
Generation X
- received a raise
Baby Boomers
- received a raise
Of those who received a raise, most workers reported getting a 2% bump, while Millennials took home the biggest piece of the pie. 30% of Millennials reported earning a raise of 5% or more, compared to just 15% of Gen Xers who took home that much.
Boomers Bypassed for Bonuses
Just one in 10 workers received a bonus last quarter, down from 14% who received a bonus in Q3 of 2016. Again, more Millennials took home bonuses than any other generation.
Millennials
- received a bonus
Generation X
- received a bonus
Baby Boomers
- received a bonus
When looking at the actual dollar amount of the bonus, Gen Xers beat out Millennials last quarter. 67% of Gen Xers who received a bonus took home more than $5K, while just 14% of Millennials got that much.
Overall, nearly half of workers who received a bonus said the amount ranged from $1K to $4,999. Broken out by gender, men received a higher dollar amount for their bonus with 40% saying they received a bonus worth between $5K-$10K, while only 22% of females got a bonus in that range.
More Money More Problems
61% of business professionals reported being satisfied at work in Q3, down a hair from 64% in Q3 of 2016. While they lead the pack in terms of raises and bonuses, Millennials actually fell behind Boomers when it came to workplace satisfaction.
Millennials
- are satisfied
Generation X
- are satisfied
Baby Boomers
- are satisfied
Unsatisfied workers blamed a lack of growth, micromanagement and an overwhelming workload as the main reasons.
“The family-based company culture is disappearing and being replaced by the normal American business culture. Money is now most important, work/family life is immaterial, and management doesn’t trust the people they hire to do the work that they were hired to do.” – Male Gen Xer
“I’m asked to create things at a pace that doesn’t leave time for quality work, only quantity.” – Female Millennial
“Too much work, not enough pay. We are spread so thin, I don’t think I do a great job on anything.” – Female Baby Boomer
Leader Likability
79% of business professionals said they liked their boss last quarter, down from 84% in Q3 of last year. The age group that really likes their boss are the Baby Boomers with 84% saying they like him or her.
For those who don’t like their boss, the main reasons are because they’re a micromanager (46%) and an under-communicator (45%).
On the flip side, for those who say they do like their boss, the No. 1 reason is because they’re a good communicator (55%). Being a good communicator was the No. 1 reason people liked their boss in Q2 of this year, but only 47% said that’s why they liked their boss in that quarter.
Exit Strategy
Despite fewer raises and bonuses, the percentage of workers who plan to leave their current employer has remained consistent over the past four quarters. One in five plan to leave their company within the next year.
Nearly half of Millennials (44%) plan to leave within 3 years, compared to 28% of Gen Xers.
Generation X is the most loyal age group: 18% “never” plan to leave their current company, compared to 14% of Baby Boomers and 11% of Millennials.
About Office Pulse
Office Pulse by Captivate offers marketers timely analysis and insights from a proprietary panel of upscale professionals in the top markets. The Office Pulse panel of more than 8,000 influential consumers and business decision makers includes C-level executives, Millennials, middle management, small business owners, working women and working moms.
About Captivate
Known for its vast network of nearly 12,000 elevator displays located in 1,600 premier office buildings across North America, Captivate connects advertisers with 13 million unique monthly viewers through creative, research-driven and Nielsen-measured advertising and marketing programs. By engaging its viewers with timely news and actionable information that helps balance the personal and professional demands of the workday, Captivate provides advertisers with a highly desirable and difficult-to-reach audience of affluent and influential business professionals. Founded in 1997, Captivate is owned by Generation Partners. For more information, please visit www.captivate.com.
