Internal staff at staffing firms are mostly satisfied, according to the report, “North America Internal Staff Survey 2018: Internal staff job satisfaction (or lack thereof), and what drives it” recently released by Staffing Industry Analysts.

The report found the primary keys to satisfaction are good leadership and positive work environment. Non-monetary incentives and work/life balance are also highly valued by internal staff.

SIA asked nearly 14,000 internal staff workers from 185 staffing firms, “How likely is it that you would recommend your employer to a friend or colleague?” The resulting net promoter score – 63% for 2018 – is roughly unchanged from previous years.

“In the current job environment, retention is key. What internal staff reveal in these results constitutes an action list that managers should review to make sure they are addressing staff needs and are competitive,” said Jon Osborne, VP of strategic research, and the author of the report.

Additional key takeaways from the report include:

• Internal staff who had quit commonly faulted their previous staffing firm employer for bad leadership or bad environment, as well as for lack of career opportunity, as primary reasons for leaving.
• Non-monetary factors, such as simple recognition and praise, increased flexibility, work/life balance, and training are highly valued.
• The two improvements in benefits that were most commonly desired were cheaper healthcare plans and more generous 401(k) plans.
• The report observed that staffing agencies with higher internal staff satisfaction also tended to have higher temporary worker satisfaction.