HAPPY WORKERS
Statistics from a nationwide study show that UK employees in the media and publishing industries are, on the whole, happy at work.
A third claim that they feel inspired to succeed everyday and 70% feel positive about work for more than three days a week, countering a common misconception of the British as disgruntled labourers.
Conducted by Argos for Business ahead of Employee Motivation Day (25 February, 2016) - a day to inspire passion and motivation across the country’s workforce - the research examined the behaviour of the UK’s workers. It highlighted team dynamics as the most important contributor towards employee satisfaction, with more than two-thirds of respondents saying that they enjoy collaborative team work.
The study specifically looks into different personality types in teamwork roles; ranging from logical leaders to confident creatives. The most popular work personality, where a fifth of workers place themselves, is 'captain questions'; characterised as a candidate who explores and problem solves, and who is most likely to call collective brainstorms for decision-making and encourage free-thinking and appreciation for suggestions and input. In contrast, the second most popular personality type is 'independent introverts', which incorporates 15% of employees who like to make informed decisions on their own before expressing them to others.
Despite being a nation of team players, the research reveals that 56% of workers believe that they themselves are their biggest motivators, suggesting that personal ambition to make an impact is the driving force. Businesses can thrive by encouraging a collaborative environment that empowers each team member to contribute and make an individual impact.
Emma Glennon, head of key clients at Argos for Business, says “Our new research casts a positive light on the UK industry, with employees proving to be happy at work and championing team spirit. This contradicts the doom and gloom stories about the daily grind."
She adds, “The team dynamic findings are interesting as they show a delicate balance between working as a collective, while being self-motivated. This ‘best-of-both-worlds’ type of work ethos stimulates personal satisfaction and ambition, within collaborative and positive working environments."