Location, work-life balance, purpose, and a strong team get a thumbs up, according to a Seek study of Gen Z. Unimpressive ESG commitments, high-stress levels, and limited career progression get the thumbs down.
Seek released a profile of the happiest Australian workers this week as part of its Workplace Happiness Index research. South Australian baby-boomer government workers are the happiest of the lot, according to the study.
At the other end of the spectrum are Gen Z engineers in Western Australia, scoring the lowest across generation, industry, and state.
The study looked at 1,200 Australian workers and found that just 55% of Australians feel happy at work. That figure rises to 61% when looking at boomers, and dips to 50% for Gen Z.
“It’s uncovered a clear opportunity for employees and employers alike to consider ways to drive greater fulfilment and connection at work,” says Aimee Hutton, Seek’s Head of Customer Insights and Strategy.
That opportunity involves tapping into the things that make Australian workers happiest.
“What’s quite revealing in this Index is that having a meaningful purpose, followed by a great manager has a bigger impact on workplace happiness than money and job security — which, interestingly, don’t even make it into the top five most important factors contributing to overall workplace happiness,” says Hutton.
The study also found that another key factor is the location where work takes place. Sixty-five per cent of Australian workers are happy with their current location, possibly reflecting the transition to work-from-home that took place during the pandemic and has largely stuck.
The research comes at a time of low wage growth, high unemployment, inflationary pressure, and some companies calling employees back to the office.
“Many working Australians are struggling with financial uncertainty, and many of us are still grappling with the constantly changing way we work, so it’s unsurprising to see only 55% of people are happy at work,” says organisational psychologist Justine Alter.
Another point of contention for Australian workers of all ages is employer commitment to ESG. Only 35 per cent of Australians report currently feeling happy when it comes to this metric.
As for Gen Z, they say the things that will make them happiest are their team and colleagues, day-to-day responsibilities, senior leadership, work-life balance, and opportunities to progress in their careers.
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