Modern organizations measure happiness at work, satisfaction, engagement, and commitment more often than ever. Surveys tell us how employees felt at a particular moment. But they rarely help us understand something deeper: why did they feel that way, and what mindset shaped that experience? Having led both small and large teams, navigated mergers and acquisitions, and built Moticheck, a platform for continuously monitoring employee experience and engagement, I have come to believe traditional satisfaction measurement can sometimes lead us to the wrong conclusions. Satisfaction is not simply a reflection of the workplace around us. It is also shaped by our expectations, choices, and the way we interpret our experience.
The same workplace can create very different experiences
How we feel at work is partly shaped by the situation around us and partly by the perspective we bring to it. In exactly the same circumstances, one person can be highly critical while another feels genuinely grateful. Take a simple example. An employee might be frustrated because there are too few clients, the workload is light, and, as a result, the income is modest. Another person, or even the same person looking at the situation differently, might be very happy with exactly that job because it offers plenty of free time, flexibility, and a workplace close to home.
So, is it a good job or a bad one? Is the employee happy or unhappy? It depends greatly on what we expect from the job and from which angle we evaluate our situation. Working with employee feedback and organizational sentiment every day at Moticheck, I often see strong criticism, limited gratitude, and conclusions drawn very quickly from individual experiences. If we really want to transform organizational culture, we should not only ask what needs to be fixed. We should also think about the underlying tone, expectations, and attitudes, and whether we are helping people see their work from a broader perspective.
Is love a feeling or an action?
Let me take a short detour into personal life. What is love? Is it simply a feeling, an overused word, or something we continuously do? Love does not really exist without loving. It is built through conscious action, attention, and care. There are many wonderful and attractive people in the world, yet we choose to value and cherish our partner. We invest in that relationship.
I think much of the same logic applies to professional life. Do I like my job? Part of the answer lies in the job itself. But part of it is also a conscious choice and a matter of attitude. If we constantly search for things we dislike in our partner, or our employer, we will certainly find them. Sometimes we also seem to treat having a job as a fundamental right or something that simply exists. But every functioning workplace exists because someone has invested time, effort, money, and energy into building an organization, finding customers, taking risks, and creating jobs. The question is whether we recognize that value alongside the things we would like to improve.
From measuring satisfaction to values-based leadership
I believe one of the things that distinguishes successful organizations is their ability to help people understand the value of their work and the workplace around them. Good leaders create an environment where people can feel proud of what they do and appreciate being part of the organization—even when everyday work includes frustrations, difficult decisions, and imperfect processes.
That is also why I do not believe much in mechanical “satisfaction measurement.” Successful organizations do not collect feedback simply because employee surveys are expected. Nor do they collect data just to calculate another average for a management presentation.
They use feedback as a leadership tool.
The purpose is to understand what people are experiencing, create meaningful dialogue, strengthen a shared sense of purpose, and help both leaders and employees build a better workplace together. True commitment does not come from whether the tasks are easy or difficult, whether there is a ping-pong table in the office, or whether employees receive a free gym membership. It grows from quality leadership, open dialogue, meaningful work, and a values-based relationship between people and the organization.
We often put too much emphasis on perks and benefits. They can certainly make employment more attractive, but they cannot make meaningless work meaningful or replace poor leadership. When leaders help shift the conversation from simply identifying everything that is wrong toward understanding value, contribution, and gratitude, happiness at work becomes something more than an expectation placed on the employer. It becomes something we create together—and something each of us has a role in choosing.
At least, that is what my own experience has taught me so far.
Martin Rajasalu, October 2026
Founder and CEO of Moticheck
Curious how Moticheck can help you boost employee engagement?
Let’s talk! Share your email, and we’ll help you get started with smart employee insights. No spam. Just practical insights.
Join thousands of teams improving engagement with Moticheck.
