WA employees least satisfied in the country, survey

Despite the booming economy and employment market, two thirds of Western Australian employees are unsatisfied with their current job, according to a report by recruitment firm Hudson.

Hudson's latest report examining job seeker motivation reveals major gaps between what job seekers want from prospective employers and what employers are actually delivering.

In Australia, the survey found employee satisfaction to be below 50 per cent in every state.

Hudson WA general manager Andrew Tomich said the figures were a wakeup call for employers.

"The fact that only 34 per cent of WA employees are satisfied is a serious concern...With rapidly growing companies unable to fill vacancies, employeers are expected to do more. Housing and living costs have risen and people are working longer hours and not personally feeling the benefit of the strong market," he said.

"The report showed that, while most employers continue to offer flexible work options and fiancial incentives to keep employees satisfied, the main drivers of job satisfaction are actually a strong relationship with management and a strong company culture."

The report highlights the main drivers of job satisfaction in order of importance being; relationship with manager; company culture; promotion/advancement opportunities; the extent to which you are required to work for others; and work life balance.

Mr Tomich said the obvious fallout of low employee satisfaction was the greater inclination for them to start looking for other jobs.

Hudson's research showed 13 per cent of WA employees are already active in the the job search process while 43 per cent are passively looking for new employment.

"In the current conditions, employees have the freedom to shop around for a better opportunity and clearly they are taking that opportunity. Ultimately, the challenge for employers is to provide an attractive, engaging emploment experience where employees have the option to leave but choose to stay," Mr Tomich concluded.

More than 2,100 professionals were surveyed accross Australia and New Zealand.