8 Causes of Job Dissatisfaction

Causes of Job Dissatisfaction Job dissatisfaction refers to unhappy or negative feelings about work or the
work environment.
There exist many factors which may result in job dissatisfaction.
Some of them are poor working conditions, overwork, low levels of pay, no scope of promotion or
career advancement and lack of recognition.
But what is worst are the consequences of job dissatisfaction which affect both the employees and the
organization.
It may result in loss of motivation, lack of interest, frustration, poor productivity, absenteeism, and even
high turnover rates.
There are several specific causes for job dissatisfaction, but it is understood there are four main areas
that reside in this issue.

Causes of Job Dissatisfaction are;

 Underpaid.
 Limited Career Growth.
 Lack of Interest.
 Poor Management.
 Unsupportive Boss.
 Lack of Meaningful Work.
 Opportunities for growth or incentives for meaningful work.
 Work and Life Balance.
The effects of low job satisfaction can be far-reaching and this issue is of concern for small business
owners as well as large companies.

Underpaid
Not being paid what one is worth is called being underpaid.
If a person does not think they are being paid enough to do their job, then they perceive themselves to
be underpaid. If they research the wages for that job and find they are indeed being underpaid, then
their dissatisfaction is warranted.
From a company’s perspective, it is a valuable and important issue because individuals who are
dissatisfied with the money they are making, for the job they do, will most likely leave the organsization.

Limited Career Growth

Not having the opportunity to climb the ladder and grow the career is another area that can foster
dissatisfaction with a position.
For this aspect, it is important to understand that not everyone wants to move up the ladder.
This could mean that the employee will potentially leave for another organization that might have better
career growth opportunities.
Lack of Interest
This is a very straightforward concept; that one should not start his career with a job which is
not an interested area of that person.
A lack of interest in work is another reason why employees are unhappy. Most employees want
to perform job duties that are engaging and challenging.
Monotonous work causes an employee to experience boredom. Bored-and unchallenged
employees experience little incentive to concern themselves with workplace productivity.

Poor Management
The management team plays an important role in an organization. Managers are responsible
for motivating employees, planning, organizing and controlling within the organization.
A key reason employees perform poorly in the workplace is poor management.
Managers with poor leadership skills tend to offer little feedback on employees’ performances.
Not having the leadership required is another reason for dissatisfaction.
People want to be led. They want to work with people who inspire them and have a vision.
Without those people, an employee can feel as if the company is just drifting through space,
waiting to run into something.

Unsupportive Boss
With companies downsizing and keeping resources at a minimum, managers become more
concerned about the bottom line rather than the very people who can have a direct effect on
the bottom line.
Managers who disengage from their employees and focus only on results without providing
inspiration, motivation or support are often unaware that they may be a major cause of job
dissatisfaction.

Lack of Meaningful Work

The lack of meaningful work plays a big part in job dissatisfaction. Employees lose interest in
work that offers no challenge.

Opportunities for growth or incentives for meaningful work

It’s easy to disengage from a job and organization that doesn’t value its employees or offer
incentives for job growth.
When employees feel their contributions are significant, they feel happy at their work and work
harder.

Work and Life Balance

Companies that fail to recognize the need for employees to maintain a healthy life and
work balance are ultimately affecting their productivity levels.
Instead of offering raises, companies might consider incentives such as paid days off, flexible
scheduling, and rewards such as tickets to movies, plays, or sporting events.