Full time self employed people are the happiest in their work, according to new research in the Salary vs Security Report from recruitment tech company Tribepad.
When asked how happy they are at work a third (33%) of full-time self-employed say they are completely happy, compared to only a fifth (20%) of full-time employed for a firm or company.
The cost of living crisis and fears over a recession is affecting people’s attitudes to making a career move. Three in 10 (30%) of all people surveyed said they would like to find a new job but are struggling to find anything better, while nearly 4 in 10 (37%) say that the impact of the cost of living crisis has meant they are rethinking their career plans and are now staying put, when they were previously considering a move.
It is smaller companies that are deemed to be happier places to work. Twice as many of those in small companies are completely happy at work versus those at large corporates – a third (29%) of those in companies under 50 people are happy compared to just 1 in 6 (14%) in companies sized 250-749 and 1 in 5 (19%) of people in companies over 750 people. This may be because 1 in 3 (29%) believe small firms have a more supportive culture and colleagues are more supportive (33%).
There also needs to be work done to support younger and more junior members of the workforce. Senior leaders are happiest at 34% vs only 1 in 5 (18%) of those in junior roles. This echoes age groups – almost a third (29%) aged 55+ are completely happy, vs 1 in 7 (13%) aged 18-24.
Dean Sadler, CEO of Tribepad says: “Recognising that self employed people with flexibility and control in their work are happiest should inspire HR and recruitment teams to think about how they can attract candidates. Ask yourself if people really need to be in the office, or if remote terms could work so you could attract a wider group of people. It’s also important to support our younger employees and junior staff, who at the moment are struggling with fulfilment at work. A good job changes lives, so let’s help get people the right jobs that will make them satisfied and stick around for longer.”
Neil Armstrong, Commercial Officer at Tribepad says: “We are seeing more people enter the freelance and self employed workforce but this need not be a worry for recruiters. The biggest benefit of working with freelancers and contractors is the flexibility they afford. Bringing skills into the business as you need rather than adding to your permanent wage bill means you can pivot as your needs change.”
The recruitment process can also impact wellbeing. Tribepad’s End Ghosting campaign found that 86% of people who don’t hear back from a recruiter or hiring manager when applying for a job are left feeling down or depressed.
