Job Satisfaction:

• Someone's attitude toward their job
• High levels of job satisfaction are about being positive in the workplace
• Leads to high productivity, less absenteeism
• Physical health benefits from high job satisfaction
• People are happier
• Research shows, high job satisfaction is a better predictor of long life than doctor ratings, use of tobacco and genetic inheritance

Drop in Job Satisfaction:

• Technological advances
• Demand on people to produce has increased
• Long work hours
• New generations, with different expectations
• Cynicism within the workplace

WAYS TO INCREASE JOB SATISFACTION

1. Learn Something New

• Focus on your own growth and development
• Learning is very important
• Lower level organisation, need to learn technical skills and IT skills
• Middle level organisation, need interpersonal and social skills
• Higher level organisation, need conceptual skills, analysis and problem solving

2. Take on a New Task or Responsibility

• People love responsibility and a challenge
• Find a new challenge that will excite you

3. Develop a Career/Life Plan

• Find a mentor to talk to and help map out a plan
• Identify where you want to be in 1, 5 and 10 years time
• Work out a development plan for each of those milestones

4. Ask for Feedback

• Ask questions like 'What am I doing well?'
• 'What are you happy with?'
• 'What are you unhappy with?'
• People who actively seek feedback are perceived in the organisation to have a much higher potential for advancement

5. Make Suggestions for Improvement

• Feedback doesn't only happen downwards, it can happen upwards as well
• Talk to your manager about your problem
• Do so in a productive, constructive way, your manager will be more open

6. Reduce Burnout

• Balance between work and life
• Setting priorities and boundaries
• Learn to say no
• Talk with your manager and team
• Leave current job only as a last resort