South Korean employees have rated their workplace happiness strikingly low. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean employees have rated their workplace happiness strikingly low, averaging just 41 points out of a possible 100, particularly among those in lower positions such as junior staff and associates.
This finding comes from a survey conducted by Blind, an anonymous community for employees, and reported on January 15.
The survey, titled ‘Workplace Happiness Blind Index,’ was conducted from June to November last year and included responses from 52,216 employees. Developed jointly by Blind and the Korea Labor Institute, this index measures the happiness level of employees.
Blind noted that the average score of 41 points has remained consistent since last year. “The Blind Index has never exceeded 50 points since 2019, which is attributed to high stress and low job satisfaction,” the organization stated.
At an individual company level, the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety ranked the highest with 82 points, followed by Daehaknaeil (79 points), Google Korea (78 points), SAP Korea (78 points), and Synopsys Korea (77 points). Among conglomerates, Naver recorded the highest score with 62 points.
By profession, doctors (60 points), pharmacists (59 points), and lawyers (59 points) scored the highest, while military personnel (30 points) and journalists (34 points) scored the lowest.
Junior employees (5-8 years of experience) scored the lowest in job satisfaction with 36.9 points, followed by associates (1-4 years of experience) with 37.3 points.
Newcomers (0 years of experience) scored 46 points, but happiness levels dropped significantly after the first year. Section chiefs scored 41 points, while department heads and directors scored 50 points.
Blind explained, “Every year, happiness scores plummet after the first year of employment, recording the lowest at the junior level. Junior staff and associates particularly expressed dissatisfaction with their sense of purpose in work and relationships with their superiors.”
The survey also revealed that women (38 points) rated their workplace happiness lower than men (43 points). Women reported lower scores in areas such as stress (experience of burnout in the past year), ethics (belief in the company’s appropriate action in case of issues), and freedom of expression (ability to speak one’s mind at work).
Professor Shin Jae-yong from the Seoul National University Business School, who analyzed the survey, commented, “An analysis of four years of Blind Index data shows a close correlation between employee happiness and corporate performance. It is time for companies to focus on specific conditions to prevent the departure of junior staff and to attract talent from competitors.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
