Salary not important for New Zealand workers

Auckland: Work environment, company culture and workplace morale are the most important factors for New Zealand office-goers, while salary is one of the least significant of all, a study has found.

A survey of 4,000 people by jobs website seek.co.nz found that among workers who consider themselves ‘happy’ in their jobs, work environment topped the list, followed by training and development, company culture, workplace morale and human relations approach.

Salary was in 11th place, the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA) reported.

For those ‘unhappy’ in their work, salary was in seventh place. Seek.co.nz executive Helen Souness said most people were looking for their managers to be ‘supportive and approachable’, to ‘demonstrate their appreciation’ and ‘provide opportunities for growth within the organisation’.

Employee happiness was a direct product of a positive work environment, she said.

Of those employees who were happy, 68 per cent said they were willing to raise their productivity because they felt motivated by their employer.

For those people who recently changed jobs or who were looking for a new job, the top reason for moving was wanting a new challenge, with 28 per cent of respondents listing that as the reason for a move.

The second highest reason was not feeling appreciated at work, chosen by 23 per cent.

However, 29 per cent of people listed salary as the most important aspect in the choice of their future employer.

The survey found highest levels of happiness in healthcare and medical sectors, where 74 per cent people said they were happy in their role.