What Influences Employees' Commitment to the Workplace?

There are those who believe in the simplicity of the adage that happy workers are dedicated workers. It can seem obvious that employees are committed to those jobs where they are happiest but is that actually true? What are the factors and elements that influence how dedicated and committed employees are to the workplace? Is happiness the only way to determine whether or not an employee is committed to the company or job?

In reality, there are several factors that influence how committed employees are to a company or organization. It has been proven that the more autonomy and responsibility that a job has, the less repetitive and dull that job also is and the more likely the worker is to enjoy and feel satisfied by the work. Those individuals who feel stimulated, challenged and satisfied in their jobs are much more likely to be committed to a given work environment, company or organization.

Additionally, things like promotional opportunities, pay raises and chances for cross-training and advancement all encourage commitment. Those jobs or companies where there are fewer opportunities for promotion, advancement, and education tend to have higher turnover and less satisfied employees.

Believe it or not, the more opportunities in the job market OUTSIDE the company or organization, the less committed employees tend to be. This is because the chances for finding a better or more satisfying job are fairly good and employees know it. When the job market is tight and the chances of finding another decent job are slim, employees tend to be much more committed to their current company or organization.

The age and educational level of the employees tends to influence how committed they are to the workplace as well. Older employees historically tend to be more committed to the organization as a whole. Whether because of cultural values or because they have achieved some seniority and security, these older works tend to report a higher interest in the overall well-being of a company or organization while younger workers are less likely to be as committed.

In general, the more satisfied employees are with the physical work environment, their coworkers, supervisors, promotional opportunities, work load and other specific elements of the job, the more likely they are to be committed to the company or organization and the more likely they are to report an intention of staying with the organization.