Advertisement
UK markets open in 2 hours 13 minutes
  • NIKKEI 225

    39,937.27
    +196.87 (+0.50%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    16,558.70
    -178.40 (-1.07%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    82.53
    -0.19 (-0.23%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,161.70
    -2.60 (-0.12%)
     
  • DOW

    38,790.43
    +75.63 (+0.20%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    51,022.91
    -3,011.90 (-5.57%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • NASDAQ Composite

    16,103.45
    +130.25 (+0.82%)
     
  • UK FTSE All Share

    4,218.89
    -3.20 (-0.08%)
     

What men and women love about work

Portrait of young architects having discussion in office
Women are overall happier at work, a study found. Photo: Getty

There are some stark differences between what brings men and women joy at work.

In a survey of over 2,000 working Brits by job site CV-Library, the majority — 57% — said they enjoy their job. But while completing a task with no faults is the main thing that makes everyone happy, some other key drivers varied between the genders.

Overall, men are more driven by personal and leadership achievements, while women are centred around praise and helping others, the data suggests.

READ MORE: Perhaps money can buy you happiness – at least, at work

Nearly half (49%) of women said helping others brings them joy at work, compared with just 37% of men.

ADVERTISEMENT

Women also thrive on positive feedback more than men do — over a third (34%) of women cited praise from a manager as something that brings them joy, compared with less than a quarter (23%) of men. Slightly more women (25%) than men (24%) also said they are happy when they receive a compliment from a colleague.

Meanwhile, men are more excited about being challenged. Over a third (34%) of men said having their skills tested brings them joy, compared with a quarter of women.

READ MORE: Why work friendships are critical for long-term happiness

Women are overall happier at work, the study found. Just 11% of women said their job doesn’t bring them any joy, as opposed to 13% of men.

“Having fun and feeling happy at work can boost your productivity and motivation, and go a long way to helping to fill your workspace with a positive atmosphere,” Lee Biggins, CEO of CV-Library, said.

“If you aren’t feeling any joy at all, maybe it’s time for a change. There are plenty of opportunities out there!”