Improving Job Satisfaction and Belonging Through Flexible Work and Leadership Cohorts

By Carey Scheide Miller

Four years into the new world of “flexible work,” many employers are still seeking a balance between employee’s desire for flexibility and the need for collaboration, connection, and job effectiveness on teams. In the wake of higher staff turnover rates and prominent calls for continued flexibility at a small university, finding the right equilibrium between in-person work and employees’ demand for continued remote work options was imperative. This study first evaluated the connection between flexible work and job satisfaction. Not surprising were the results that employees with flexibility had greater job satisfaction (88% of respondents) than their non-flexible peers (68% of respondents).

Two interesting threads that came from an initial cycle of research were the relation of supportive supervisors (as reported by their employees) to job satisfaction, even if the employee had only occasional flexibility, and the desire and need for much more robust communication. However, supervisors reported confusion on how to practically implement flexible work, especially if they had employees who were student-facing, and a need for more training and resources. With that backdrop, the researcher developed a four-part series of voluntary virtual leadership workshops with a team of colleagues designed to provide not only management tools for greater communication, information-sharing, and work-life integration but also opportunities for stronger connections within small cohorts of leaders from across the university.

Using pre- and post-workshop anonymous surveys for the workshop participants and a split-test anonymous survey of direct reports for the participants (Group A) and those whose supervisors did not participate (Group B), the research team identified four key findings:

Finding #1: Job satisfaction is positively related to feelings of belonging. This connection was clear both for supervisors who participated in the workshops and all staff survey respondents. Of the supervisory participants, 78% agreed that they belonged to the university and, of that group, 78% were also satisfied with their work situation. Conversely, 8.3% of the respondents somewhat disagreed that they belonged and only half of that group were even somewhat satisfied with their job situation. This trend continued with Group A (direct reports of workshop participants) where 71% agreed they belonged and of that group, 95% reported job satisfaction, and to a lesser extent but still with the same positive connection in Group B (whose supervisors did not participate in workshops). Of Group B respondents, 58% agreed that they belonged and within that group, 78% were satisfied.
Finding #2: Staff with flexible work plans reported significantly better job satisfaction and belonging when compared to their peers. This was particularly important for caregivers, who consistently reported the highest dissatisfaction with their work arrangements if they did not have even occasional flexibility. Surprisingly, 75% of female caregivers without flexibility were dissatisfied with their work arrangements compared to 6% of female caregivers who had even occasional (at least a few days per month) flexibility.
Finding #3: Supportive supervisors strongly influence job satisfaction and belonging. Of the supervisory participants’ direct reports (Group A), 70% reported they were extremely satisfied with their work arrangements and, of that group, 90.5% agreed their supervisors supported work-life balance.
Finding #4: Providing leadership training to supervisors yielded job satisfaction benefits – but there are nuances to this finding, which is explored in the journal article. The research found strong value in developing leadership cohorts where participants could build connections and have meaningful discussions over four weeks with 100% of survey respondents placing high value on the cohorts. Furthermore, there was a robust link between feelings of belonging and reporting a strong cohort connection. Through a variety of indicators, both the workshop participants and their direct reports showed benefits in job satisfaction, support for work-life balance, belonging, and strong communication.

In conclusion, there is a critical interrelationship between job satisfaction, belonging, and flexibility. Flexible work environments and meaningful supervisor relationships contribute to job satisfaction and belonging. Leadership workshops and cohort discussion groups benefit not only supervisors but also their direct reports, demonstrated by increased job satisfaction and feelings of belonging. Given these findings, offering leadership training cohorts is a solid strategy for increasing job satisfaction and belonging.

Article Details
Improving Job Satisfaction and Belonging Through Flexible Work and Leadership Cohorts
Carey Scheide Miller, EdD & Joan Giblin, PhD
First Published November 9, 2024
DOI: 10.1177/15234223231212675
Advances in Developing Human Resources

About the Author

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Dr. Carey Scheide Miller is Vice President for Development for the Carnegie Museums, a role she has held since August 2023. She leads a team of 70 charged with fundraising, membership, sponsored research grants, and corporate communications for the four-museum system of Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and Andy Warhol Museum. In early 2024, she participated in soliciting and securing a $65 million gift -- the largest gift since the Carnegie Museums’ founding, building substantially on the museums’ $28M in annual support. She previously served nearly eight years at Chatham University as Associate Vice President (2015-2017) and then as Vice President of University Advancement (2017-2023). Miller led the efforts for the successful completion of Chatham’s largest comprehensive campaign, which raised more than $101M, implemented a new alumni engagement program, a Day of Giving, and fundraising efforts that resulted in the highest levels of support both in dollars and donors in decades. Prior positions include serving as Senior Director of Development for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and as Associate Director of Major Gifts for Carnegie Mellon University. Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Pennsylvania State University’s Schreyer Honors College, a master’s degree in public history from Duquesne University, and a doctorate in education in organizational leadership from Northeastern University. For her dissertation, she studied the effects of flexible work on job satisfaction and feelings of belonging. She found that providing training and creating leadership cohorts for supervisors could improve their staff's job satisfaction and belonging.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carey-scheide-miller/

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