Survey finds older workers are more motivated, satisfied

The survey found that employees reporting the lowest salaries and job satisfaction worked in the real estate sector. Keystone

According to the EY 2016 Jobs Survey, workers in Switzerland in the over-61 age group are significantly more motivated at work than their younger colleagues.

Fifty-two percent of workers aged 61 and up said they were “highly motivated”, and 82% stated that they were “completely satisfied” with their jobs.

This contrasts starkly with the responses of younger employees: only 20% between the ages of 21 and 30 described themselves as highly motivated.

The professional services company EY (formerly Ernst & Young) Switzerland surveyed 1,000 employees from across the country to provide the data, which were published External linkThursday.

“The very low motivation of younger employees is a cause for alarm,” said Barbara Aeschlimann, EY Switzerland’s human resources director.

“Companies have to become better at responding to the changing needs and expectations of the younger generation and start adapting to the working world of the future. This means more flexibility, both in terms of working hours and location, greater openness to individual life plans and less rigid structures.”

Co-workers over cash

The survey found that job satisfaction is higher among women than men in Switzerland. People working for trade associations and in the public sector also said they were more satisfied than those working in the private sector.

In terms of what employees find most motivating, a large salary was not most respondents’ chief concern. Instead, having good relationships with colleagues was rated as the most important motivation, with interesting and challenging work coming in second. Attractive working hours and a high salary were rated the third and fourth most important motivations, respectively.

The report concluded that the survey results “highlight that companies can do far more to exploit the existing potential within the labour force as they continue to struggle with a shortage of qualified staff”.

“In many companies, employees over 50 are often just gradually eased into retirement. But many remain highly productive until their old age – and are also highly motivated…Their experience is an extremely valuable asset for companies, and on top of this they are usually very responsible and reliable,” Aeschlimann said.