Are you having a good day selling sleep products today? Yes? You’re not alone.
A recent study shows people working in the consumer products and services sector, which includes retail, are more engaged in and satisfied with their work than those in other fields.
The data comes from “2016 Best Industry Ranking: Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Across Industries,” a report from TINYpulse, a Seattle-based employee engagement firm. The report is based on 500,000 survey responses from more than 60,000 employees in 13 industries.
Rounding out the top three industries when it comes to employee happiness are real estate and technology/software. (For our readers who work for mattress producers, we’re sorry to report the manufacturing sector is near the bottom at No. 11.)
TINYpulse further analyzed the data to determine what it is about certain workplaces that allow employees to thrive. Three main themes emerged:
It starts with culture: “Happy employees enjoy great teammates and management that practices transparency,” the report says.
As one employee in the consumer products and service sector put it, “(I) love my colleagues and team members. I am often inspired by them and motivated by their commitment, follow-through, intelligence and willingness to help.”
Opportunities for advancement matters: “Not having a path for advancement can stifle employee satisfaction,” TINYpulse found.
Workers need a voice: “Unhappy workers report that their feedback isn’t taken seriously by their companies,” according to the report.
(Our thanks to BedMart, a Portland-based sleep chain, for bringing the TINYpulse report to Sleep Savvy’s attention. The retailer uses TINYpulse to track and measure employee engagement and satisfaction, and proudly reports its BedMart employees rate their overall happiness at 8.6 out 10.)