Wrike Happiness Index, CompensationUnited Kingdom Data and Insights
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
2
About this survey
We’ve all heard the stories of runaway perks in modern businesses.
From in-office wine bars, to staff masseuses, to on-site laundry:
Companies are competing hard for talent and pulling out all
the stops to recruit and retain top candidates. But do those things
really matter to employees?
In this study, we explore what really makes workers happy around
the world.
Wrike commissioned Atomik Research to run an online survey
of adults who work full-time for an organization with more than 200
employees. This survey was conducted in the United States, United
Kingdom, France, and Germany, and resulted in at least 1,000
respondents in each country. Respondents were evenly split between
male and female. The margin of error fell within +/- 2 percentage
points with a confidence interval of 95 percent. The fieldwork
took place between November 13–19, 2018. Atomik Research
is an independent creative market research agency.
In this presentation, we’ll see results specific to survey respondents
from the United Kingdom. We’ll highlight differences between
countries in instances where those differences are significant
or unexpected.
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
3
We were surprised by the ranking of happiness factors in the UK,
where meaningful work is seen as the strongest factor determining
an employee’s happiness. Globally, compensation is the leading
factor, and in the UK, it holds 4th place.
Office location also holds a higher ranking in the UK than globally,
which may speak to the disproportionate size of London relative
to the UK’s population, and its notorious traffic congestion. This may
also be a factor in the importance of remote and flexible work.
Happiness Factors Ranked
1. Doing meaningful work
2. Flexible hours/remote work
3. Office location
4. Compensation
5. Company culture/reputation/welcoming workspace
6. Management/leadership
UK workers derive happiness from meaningful work
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
4
Happier employees (those who are “mostly happy”
or “elated” with their current jobs) and less happy
employees (those who are “mostly unhappy” or
“miserable”) agree that meaningful work and flexible
hours are two of the most important happiness factors.
But as we move down the list, differences emerge.
Happier employees place “office location” in the third
spot, which might mean there is a happiness benefit
to choosing nearby employers to shorten commute
time, or those with conveniences near by.
Less happy respondents rank compensation higher,
which may tell us happier employees are satisfied with
their current salaries, and rank it as less important.
Happiness Factors forHappy Employees
Happiness Factors forUnhappy Employees
1. Meaningful work 1. Meaningful work
2. Flexible hours/remote work 2. Flexible hours/remote work
3. Office location 3. Compensation
4. Company culture/reputation 4. Management/leadership
5. Compensation 5. Company culture/reputation
6. Management/leadership 6. Office location
Happy workers prioritize culture and commute
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
5
Men and women both place high importance
on meaningful work and flexibility in the workplace,
but differences emerge after that.
Men rank compensation as 3rd most important,
whereas it is the least important factor for women.
This also marks a stark contrast from U.S. women,
who ranked compensation as the most important factor.
Overall, UK respondents place company culture
and management lower in importance. This may
indicate UK employees have balanced relationships
between their work and lives, and give equal weight
to how work makes them feel outside and inside
the office.
Happiness Factors for Men Happiness Factors for Women
1. Doing meaningful work 1. Doing meaningful work
2. Flexible hours/remote work 2. Flexible hours/remote work
3. Compensation 3. Office location
4. Office location 4. Company culture/reputation
5. Company culture/reputation 5. Management/leadership
6. Management/leadership 6. Compensation
Men and women rank happiness factors differently
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
6
The difference in rankings between collaborative work
management (CWM) users and non-CWM users may be
related to the positive effect CWM has on a company’s
culture, which you’ll see in later results.
CWM users think management relationships
are the most important, and surprisingly, meaningful
work is lowest on their list. Because CWM puts impact
and connection to work’s purpose front and center, it
could be possible that CWM users simply don’t actively
think about their work’s meaning since it is already
evident.
Happiness Factors for CWM Users
Happiness Factors for Non-CWM Users
1. Management/leadership 1. Compensation
2. Compensation 2. Meaningful work
3. Flexible hours/remote work 3. Flexible hours/remote work
4. Office location 4. Company culture/reputation
5. Company culture/reputation 5. Management/leadership
6. Meaningful work 6. Office location
CWM happiness factors differently than non-CWM users
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
7
People are willing to leave money on the table to find happiness
Q: At any point in your career, have you taken a pay cut to accept a job
that made your happier?
Employees in the UK are willing to vote with their feet when work makes them unhappy.
The majority say they’ve taken a pay cut to find a job that made them happier.
54% Yes
46% No
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
8
When it comes to happiness, a pay cut can pay off
70%
0%
10%
20%
50%
40%
30%
60%
Q: At any point in your career, have you taken a pay cut to accept a job that made your happier?
Those who reported taking a pay cut to improve their happiness
are 77% more likely to say they are “mostly happy” or “elated” with
their current jobs than those who have not.
The majority of respondents who report being “mostly unhappy”
or “miserable,” say they’ve never taken a pay cut to accept a job
that made them happier.
Yes No
64
3936
61
Happier Less Happy
We acknowledge that this isn’t simply a matter of values or willpower.
It’s likely that many are stuck in unhappy careers because they
are dependent upon higher-earning-potential jobs that don’t bring
them happiness.
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
9
Men are more likely than women to walk away from cash for happiness
Q: At any point in your career, have you taken a pay cut to accept a job that made your happier?
Men are about 50% more likely than women to say they’ve taken a pay
cut for a job that made them happier.
Yes No
64
4336
57
We might be able to attribute this to the gender pay gap. It’s possible
that lower wages mean women simply don’t have the luxury of taking
a pay cut like their male counterparts.
70%
0%
10%
20%
50%
40%
30%
60%
Male Female
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
10
There’s a gap when it comes to perks in the workplace
Q: Which of the following perks is most important to your happiness at work?
UK men are more likely than their female counterparts to support
onsite perks that create a more home-like workplace.
It may be tempting for employers to pile on the perks to attract
talent and foster a great culture, but leadership should bear in mind
that the most popular answer for both genders is, “I don’t care about
perks. Show me the money.”
More or Unlimited PTO
Free lunches Free snacks Events (Happy Hours, team building, etc.)
Onsite conveniences (gym, laundry)
I don’t care about perks. Show me the money
45%
40%
35%
0%
5%
20%
15%
10%
30%
25%
913
7
17
12
43
10
16
11
2017
25
Male Female
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
11
CWM users are more engaged at work
Q: Which of the following perks is most important to your happiness at work?
Respondents who report using CWM software are more likely to desire
perk-filled workplaces than those who do not. Perhaps because they feel
more connected to their brands and want the office to feel like home.
For example, CWM users are 88% more likely to say a free lunch
is the most important perk, and almost 4 times as likely to say team
events, like happy hours, are most important.
Non-CWM users are more than 5 times as likely to say, “I don’t
care about perks. Show me the money.” This suggests a more
transactional view of their work and workplaces.
More or Unlimited PTO
Free lunches Free snacks Events (Happy Hours, team building, etc.)
Onsite conveniences (gym, laundry)
I don’t care about perks. Show me the money
70%
0%
40%
30%
50%
20%
10%
60%
1217
13
26
1813
59
37 8
67
Non-CWM users CWM users
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
12
50%
0%
30%
35%
25%
15%
40%
20%
10%
5%
45%
CWM users feel a deeper connection with their brands and colleagues
Q: If you could pick a reward for your team to celebrate a job well done, which would you pick?
Employees who use CWM software are more inclined towards perks
that benefit their teams or connect them with their companies.
For example, CWM users are 5 times more likely to choose company
swag as a reward, and 5 times more likely to choose a happy hour with
their teams.
CWM users may feel a deeper connection to their brands because they
have a true sense of how their work fits into the company’s success,
and they don’t feel simply like a cog in a machine.
Company swag Go home early Happy hour Free lunch £50 Visa gift card Other
10
21 2016
32
12
31
4
13
47
3
Non-CWM users CWM users
WRIKE HAPPINESS INDEX, COMPENSATION
About Wrike
Wrike is the collaborative work management platform
for market leaders. The Wrike platform helps
organizations align work with the most important
business objectives, create new efficiencies, and drive
results. It brings out the best in teams by giving them
a single digital workplace with all the tools, features,
and integrations needed to manage, automate,
and complete work at scale. Founded in 2006
and headquartered in Silicon Valley, Wrike is the partner
of choice for more than 18,000 organizations, including
Google, Tiffany & Co., and Edelman, and 2 million users
across 140 countries. For more information, visit:
www.wrike.com.