Happiness in the workplace has held steady over the past year. Photo: Unsplash
- Two-thirds surveyed happy at work
- Direct line managers more influential, but only 56 pct happy with their manager
- Purpose is main happiness driver along with responsibilities
- Job security more important for happiness, but fewer feel it
- Nearly a third dread going to work, higher among Gen-Z
Happiness in the workplace has held steady over the past year as employees appreciate the purpose of what they do and the responsibilities that go with it.
A new report from recruitment website Seek showed 64 percent were happy at work, unchanged from the year before, with 12 percent saying they were unhappy.
Other top reasons included people were happy where they worked, the people they worked with, and work-life balance, but that was tempered by concerns about job security and some dissatisfaction with direct line managers.
Seek country manager Rob Clark said the maintenance of happiness was encouraging even with tough economic times.
"What stands out is that even with these pressures, New Zealand workers remain remarkably resilient and clear about what matters most."
However, he said a mixed bag of factors affected sentiment, with more than a third least happy with career progression, and less than half content with company commitment to ESG (environment, sustainability, governance), salary, stress and senior leadership.
Clark said employers and senior managers should be aware of the changing factors in workplace mood.
"Happier employees are more likely to be engaged and productive, and far less likely to be looking for another role. By focusing on wellbeing, purpose and supportive management, employers can make a meaningful difference to how people feel at work."
Gen Z least happy
The least happy group at work was Generation Z (those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s) with 58 percent saying they were happy, up from 45 percent in the previous survey.
Notably 40 percent of Gen Z workers dreaded going to work, were more likely to feel burnt out and exhausted.
Clark said Gen Z workers were most likely to have just joined the workforce and be at the bottom of the employment ladder and pay scale.
But the survey showed satisfaction among them for ESG issues, recognition, and feeling listened to or valued.
"In many instances they're probably being asked to go the extra mile because of the current tough conditions and there's less resource to go around ... and that cohort is most likely to feel the cost of living pressures."
Clark said the survey did not go into whether economic good times made for happier workplaces, but he suspected it probably did.
"I would say yes, simply because if we're seeing wage growth and people are getting paid more over time then there's more resources, and roles and responsibilities they have are a little better, their work is more enjoyable and that drives happiness."
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