Italy brings up the rear among the nations where workers declare themselves “satisfied”, both in terms of jobs and pay. This is what emerges from the analysis of Hays Italy conducted on professionals (mainly middle and top management) in 12 countries.
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The situation in Italy
According to Unioncamere estimates, the difficulty in finding staff cost Italy almost 44 billion euros in 2023, so it is essential that companies invest in improving the level of employee satisfaction to retain them. He is of this opinion Carlos Soave, managing director of Hays Italia. “In our country, satisfaction is growing but we are still far from optimal levels, which is why we need to focus on the intangible needs of employees and not just the salary. Benefits, work-life balance, a stimulating work environment and growth opportunities are essential aspects for workers today, and increasingly influence their career choices. Companies, especially small ones, must therefore initiate a deep-rooted cultural change if they want to improve their reputation and be more attractive on the market”, he continues.
Looking at our country, although in 2023 the percentage of Italians satisfied with their current job grew, reaching 61% (in 2022 it was 47%), Italy ranks in penultimate place among the nations analysed, followed only by Portugal ( 49%).
Italy is far from the more “virtuous” countries such as the Czech Republic (78%), Romania (73%) and the UK (73%). Even from a salary point of view, in Italy those satisfied with their salary represent only 57% of the sample, a figure still better than in Portugal (40%) but once again significantly lower than the Czech Republic (77%).
In a historical moment in which there is a lot of talk about mismatch, with many Italian companies having evident difficulties in finding new talent, it becomes essential for managers and entrepreneurs to monitor the satisfaction levels of their employees to be able, at least, to retain them, adopting measures to create an attractive and rewarding environment.
Who are the most satisfied workers
In an international comparison, on the podium of the most satisfied we find employees from the Czech Republic (78%), Romania (73%) and the UK (73%). Followed by those of Ireland (72%), Belgium (70%), the Netherlands (70%).
Below 70% of those satisfied we find Hungary (69%), Poland (67%), Spain (66%) and France (62%), while Italy (61%) and Portugal (49%) close the ranking. ).
The Czech Republic also confirms itself as the leader in terms of salary satisfaction, with 77% of happy employees. The numbers drop significantly after the first position, once again placing Romania and the new entry Belgium on the podium, both with 69% of employees satisfied with their salaries. Followed by the Netherlands (66%), UK (62%), France (60%) and Hungary (60%), followed by Ireland and Italy with 57% and Spain (53%). The most dissatisfied with their salary satisfaction are once again the Portuguese (40%), this time together with the Poles (48%).
