New Research: Employee Job Satisfaction Related to Personal Vision and Self Confidence

Job satisfaction may depend as much on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual resources the employee brings to the workplace as anything that’s happening on the job, according to data gathered from 120,000 working adults.

“The people who score in the top 10 percent of job satisfaction report they have a much stronger sense of purpose and vision—a stronger personal story—than those who have lower job satisfaction,” says research by Dr. Jim Loehr, chief executive officer of the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Florida. The source of Dr. Loehr’s data, the Full Engagement Profile, is based on concepts in his book, “The Power of Full Engagement.”

“People who report the greatest job satisfaction are highly self-confident individuals,” said Loehr, who noted an 85 percent correlation between high job satisfaction and self-confidence. “They are not only satisfied with their jobs; they also feel competent in work and life. These two are mutually reinforcing.”

He added that employers get only one chance at good selection for their openings, but have a daily opportunity to encourage people towards practices that renew physical energy. They also can encourage employees’ self-confidence through training and recognition.

“The catalyst to high engagement seems to come from one’s personal story—that voice in the mind that tells the person he or she is in the right place and on the right journey,” Loehr said. “While engagement is a highly personal process, employers can offer the tools to help people find it and keep it. And employers can remove the distractions that undermine it.”

Loehr's organization found the connection between job satisfaction and personal vision and commitment by studying responses to the statements: “I am happy and satisfied in my job” and “I am fully engaged at work.” In addition, people who rate themselves in the top 10 percent of job satisfaction and engagement rate themselves as much as two-and-one-half times higher on commitment, passion, vision, purpose, self confidence and spiritual capacity than those in the lowest 10 percent.

“If the tensions of the job or a discouraging environment take away focus, enthusiasm and time to create positive energy,” said Loehr. “The individual with high job satisfaction is at risk of becoming a different kind of employee.”