Construction workers, it turns out, are the happiest employees in the workforce.
That’s according to the TINYpulse 2015 Best Industry Ranking report, based on a survey of more than 30,000 employees across the United States, which put the construction and facilities services industry in the top spot.
“Represented by companies that build homes or perform maintenance and landscaping services, just to name a few specialties, this industry group outperforms every other industry on happiness,” the report said.
Construction workers’ happiness is primarily driven by two factors: working with great colleagues and being excited about the nature of their job and the projects they work on. The report explained:
Sure, other variables like work environment, professional growth, and the quality of management teams affect happiness. But this evidence shows a disproportionate weight given to colleagues and professional satisfaction.
One construction worker described his work experience like this:
The biggest reason I would rate my response as [extremely happy] is also the greatest resource that [my company] has—the people whom I work with. … I am very happy at work. I really like what I do, and I get to learn something new every day to improve what I do already. I enjoy my work and working with my coworkers.
So why are construction workers so much happier than employees in other industries? Nearly half of workers said a negative relationship with their direct supervisor leads to dissatisfaction.
According to the report, the manufacturing industry has the dubious distinction of landing in last place when it comes to employee happiness.
The survey respondents said the driving factors of their unhappiness are: unsupportive manager, lack of tools and resources to complete the job, little opportunity for professional growth, poor internal processes and systems, and dissatisfaction with colleagues.
TINYpulse recommends that employers pay attention to the factors that lead to employee satisfaction, unless they want their employees jumping ship.
My brother worked in the construction industry for several years. His sentiments about construction work are summed up in this report. The only reason he left construction is because he was unable to maintain consistent hours year-round.
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A growing number of people are getting jobs without offices as the economy evolves. Check out this video to learn more about the advantages of work-from-home jobs:
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