In The Second Part, Suppose You Are Working With A Client To

In The Second Part Suppose You Are Working With A Client To Improve E

In the second part, suppose you are working with a client to improve employee satisfaction with the company. The client manages a direct sales company that employs 115 sales representatives across five locations. You conduct an initial employee assessment and review the company’s existing organizational policies. Here are some of the major findings:

• 54% of employees are highly satisfied or satisfied with the company.
• 48% of employees have intentions to leave the company within the next 12 months.
• 36% of employees find their work meaningful.
• 92% of employees are highly satisfied or satisfied with their salaries.
• 75% of employees enjoy working with their colleagues.
• 87% of employees feel overly tired most days of the week.
• 56% of employees view their personal values as aligned with the company’s values.
• 15% of all employees currently use the company’s health insurance plan.
• The company has a competitive monthly bonus program that rewards the top 5% of its sales representatives with a bonus equal to 10% of their monthly pay.
• The company offers one health insurance option for all employees.
• The company offers an employee referral bonus of $500 to current employees who refer friends or family for employment opportunities at the company, if the applicant is successful and stays for a minimum of 3 months.
• The company’s policies require employees to work overtime, for time and a half pay, during busy sales periods.

Because they are short-staffed, the company relies on the majority of employees working overtime during most weeks. The company currently offers a wide array of fringe benefits, such as discounts for services at other companies. After reviewing these major findings and highlights from the company’s policies, identify three to five findings you think are the most concerning and important to address. Identify relevant best practices, prevention strategies, and/or interventions that I-O professionals could implement to improve employee satisfaction and other employee-related outcomes at this company. Be sure to explain your rationale for each suggestion you make.

Paper For Above instruction

Improving employee satisfaction in organizations, particularly in fast-paced sales environments, requires a nuanced approach to addressing critical organizational and human resource challenges. Based on the available data and policy review provided, this paper identifies the most concerning issues, analyzes their implications grounded in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology principles, and offers evidence-based strategies to enhance employee outcomes.

1. High Employee Turnover Intentions

Almost half of the employees (48%) intend to leave within a year, representing a significant retention challenge. High turnover can lead to increased recruitment costs, loss of organizational knowledge, and decreased morale among remaining staff (Griffeth, Hom, & Gaertner, 2000). The cause of such intentions may include job dissatisfaction, lack of engagement, or misalignment with organizational values.

Best practices to address this include conducting in-depth exit and engagement surveys to diagnose specific reasons for dissatisfaction, and implementing targeted retention programs. For example, enhancing career development opportunities through training and mentorship programs can increase employees' commitment (Hausknecht, Rodda, & Howard, 2009). Furthermore, fostering a positive work environment through recognition and employee involvement can reduce turnover intentions.

2. Overwork and Fatigue

87% of employees report feeling overly tired most days, which raises concerns about burnout, decreased productivity, and health issues (Maslach & Leiter, 2016). Overtime policies requiring employees to work extra hours at time-and-a-half wages during busy periods contribute to sustained fatigue, potentially leading to long-term health problems and diminished job satisfaction.

To mitigate these effects, I-O professionals can advocate for workload management reforms, such as implementing flexible scheduling, redistributing tasks more evenly, or hiring temporary staff during peak periods. Stress management programs and promoting a culture that values work-life balance are effective prevention strategies (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004).

3. Limited Use of Health Insurance Benefits

Only 15% of employees utilize the offered health insurance, which could indicate a lack of awareness, access barriers, or perceptions of inadequate coverage. Access to health benefits is linked to better health outcomes, reduced absenteeism, and increased job satisfaction (Goetzel & Ozminke, 2008).

Interventions include improving communication about available benefits, simplifying enrollment procedures, and considering additional health plans that cater to diverse employee needs. Improving benefit utilization can enhance overall well-being and perceived organizational support (Eisenberger et al., 2002).

4. Absence of Diversity and Inclusion Strategies

While not explicitly mentioned, the analysis of organizational policies suggests a lack of explicit diversity and inclusion initiatives, which are critical for employee engagement and satisfaction. Employees’ perception of an inclusive environment correlates positively with job satisfaction and reduces intentions to leave (Nishii, 2013).

I-O professionals should assist the organization in developing diversity training, inclusive policies, and employee resource groups, fostering a culture of respect and belonging (Roberson, 2006).

5. Incentive Structures and Recognition Programs

The current bonus program rewards only the top 5%, and fringe benefits include discounts but lack intrinsic recognition mechanisms. A focus on extrinsic rewards alone can sometimes undermine intrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Employees’ satisfaction with salaries is high, but work meaningfulness and personal value alignment remain low.

Implementing comprehensive recognition programs that value employees’ contributions beyond monetary incentives, such as peer recognition and personal development opportunities, can enhance motivation and satisfaction (Kuvaas, 2006). Additionally, broadening reward criteria to include teamwork, creativity, and service quality can foster a more engaged workforce.

Conclusion

Addressing these pressing issues with strategic, research-backed interventions can significantly improve employee attitudes and organizational outcomes. Focusing on retention, workload management, benefit awareness, diversity, and recognition can create a more engaged, healthy, and satisfied sales force. An I-O psychologist can serve as a vital change agent by facilitating data-driven solutions aligned with best practices in organizational development.

References

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• Goetzel, R. Z., & Ozminke, D. (2008). The health and productivity advantage: Linking health promotion and organizational effectiveness. American Journal of Health Promotion, 22(2), 103–107.
• Griffeth, R. W., Hom, P. W., & Gaertner, S. (2000). A meta-analysis of antecedents and correlates of employee turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(6), 868–887.
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• Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293–315.