Nairobi, Kenya, Nov 11- Majority of employees from Kisumu County are happy with their current employers while those from Mombasa are the most unhappy with their workplace, according to Kenya Employee Satisfaction Report 2021 released by Brighter Monday Kenya, on Wednesday.
The report which sampled 1,760 respondents from Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and other cities through online surveys, shows that 90% of respondents believe job satisfaction increases their job productivity while less than half of those surveyed are happy with their current employer.
“Mombasa has the most unhappy respondents and poses the highest flight risk as the majority sampled are willing to leave their current employer in the next 6 months. Nairobi has the highest number of respondents who are neutral about their happiness and the majority of respondents in Kisumu are happy with their employer,” the report indicated.
According to the report, 52 per cent of Kisumu residents said they are happy with their current roles while 31 per cent are neutral about whether they are willing to leave their current employer.
Based on the survey, strong, relatable company values goals was ranked the most important external trait while competitive package was ranked the most important intrinsic trait that respondents desire in an ideal company.
Speaking in Nairobi during the launch of the report, BrighterMonday Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Emmanuel Mutuma said employee satisfaction remains a fundamental aspect in the workplace as organizations continue to navigate the evolving work environment.
“Employee satisfaction is crucial because most staff spend a significant portion of their life working. This report explored and analyzed feedback based on age, gender, location, job level and work experience for a demographic overview to provide insights business leaders and HR personnel can use to guide them in building strong employee engagement systems and as a result, boost overall long-term organizational success,” Mutuma said.
He added that businesses should increase focus on flexibility as staff appreciate the hybrid approach where they benefit from human interaction at the office and also get to work remotely on some days of the week.
Regarding organizational flight risk and employer advocacy by gender, the report shows that men are slightly happier with their employer but pose a slightly higher flight risk than women. This means they are more likely to leave their employer.
The report further indicates that 43 per cent of them are happy but 55 per cent are willing to leave their job.
“On the flip side, 54 per cent of women said they are willing to leave their current employer while 42 per cent are happy with their current role,” the report revealed.
The Report also reveals that employee satisfaction goes beyond salary expectations and further explores themes around company values, employee happiness, flight risk, employer advocacy and job satisfaction.
Mutuma further encouraged the employers to make use of the report in a bid to ensure employee satisfaction and happiness.
“The report also provides crucial market insights which can be used as guidelines to prioritize employee satisfaction in the work place and improve productivity and overall long-term organizational success. This report is a call to action for employers to evaluate fundamental factors that foster employee satisfaction,” Mutuma stated.
Kimani Kinuthia head of Human Resource (HR) at Brighter Monday said the report was mostly informed by the HR analytics and the resignations.
Kinuthia stated that the resignation rate is significantly high within mid-level employees and low for employees between 60 and 70 years and those between 20-25.
He stated that employers need to take data driven approach to improve retention and employee satisfaction.