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A new study from Motivosity, the modern employee engagement software platform, revealed that Americans may be quitting their jobs in droves, but most actually love their jobs — and for surprising reasons. When survey respondents shared those reasons, 75% said they “love” their job because it gives them enough time to do what they love outside of work, not because of the work itself.
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The key takeaway, according to Motivosity founder and CEO Scott Johnson? “Having time outside of work to do the things you love is just as important as loving what you do. Work and life blend together, and if you don’t love one, it makes it harder to love the other.”
Other reasons people love their jobs included:
- Clients and co-workers they interact with (44%)
- Ability to maintain a good work/life balance (39%)
- Roles and responsibilities (39%)
- The industry they work in (34%)
- Their manager or boss (30%)
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With the realization that so many people put their co-workers and clients at the top of their list when it comes to enjoying work, the pandemic created new and unique challenges with employee engagement and retention.
Johnson told GOBankingRates, “When people stepped away from their normal work environments, especially with COVID, they started asking why they were working and what they were working for. The titles, vacation time and social interaction that mattered before really didn’t make a difference now that they were working from their home offices.”
What really matters to employees, now, is work/life balance and an actual affinity for the work they’re doing.
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Gender Gap in Job Satisfaction
It was surprising, in this era of “The Great Resignation,” with quit rates hovering near — or exceeding — all-time highs, that 69% of employees said they “love” their current job, and 41% even called it their dream job.
However, a gender gap exists in this important workplace metric of job satisfaction. Only 59% of women said they enjoy what they do for a living, while 82% of the men polled said the same. More than half (52%) of men also said they …….