Salary levels, uncertainty and evolving work models are among the issues that have recently had the strongest impact on professional life. Although 62% of employees say they are satisfied with their jobs, and the share of negative assessments has fallen to 9%, the data also point to growing tension: 64% of respondents experience stress related to their duties, while 53% believe changing jobs would be difficult, according to Grafton Recruitment’s “Salary and Trends in Enterprises Report.”
Salary, Atmosphere and Stability Matter Most
According to Grafton Recruitment’s study, salary, workplace atmosphere and job stability were among the most important factors influencing employee satisfaction in 2025. These were followed by opportunities for development and promotion, the chance to work on interesting tasks and projects, remote work, and non-salary benefits.
“Salary remains the most important factor in how employees assess their workplace, regardless of company size, department or position. The exception is senior management, for whom workplace atmosphere matters more, which may stem from the relatively high pay levels in this group. An analysis of employee priorities also shows the growing importance of job security, especially among those employed in smaller companies,” explained Magdalena Głuchowska, Lead Recruitment Expert at Grafton Recruitment.
What matters most to employees only partly overlaps with how they perceive their organisations’ performance in meeting those needs. When evaluating company actions, respondents pointed to workplace atmosphere, job security, and the opportunity to work on interesting tasks and projects as the most satisfying areas. Satisfaction with salary ranked only fourth, which is consistent with other studies showing that employee pay expectations usually exceed what companies can realistically offer.
“It is worth paying particular attention to the area of development and promotion opportunities. It is clearly visible that employee needs in this respect are not being met – they rank high on the list of priorities, while company performance in this area is rated the weakest,” added Magdalena Głuchowska.
Employees Remain Satisfied – for Now
In 2025, 62% of employees declared job satisfaction, similar to the level recorded three years earlier. At the same time, the share of respondents assessing their job negatively fell from 13% to 9%, according to Grafton Recruitment’s report.
The highest level of satisfaction is visible among employees in smaller companies employing 75 to 100 people, especially among staff working in logistics, sales, marketing and PR.
The relatively low level of dissatisfaction may result from several factors – ranging from improved working conditions and organisation, to revised pay policies, to better communication. Growing concerns about the ability to find another job also appear to play a role.
“In recent years, many companies have introduced salary increases in response both to inflationary pressure and to rising employee expectations. At the same time, they have become more engaged in creating a friendlier work environment and developing management and communication competencies. Wellbeing has taken on a practical dimension: it is no longer just a slogan, but a set of concrete actions,” said Joanna Ciężkowska, Senior Brand Manager at Grafton Recruitment.
Workplace Stress: Growing Pressure on Employees
The high share of employees declaring job satisfaction does not mean they operate in a tension-free environment. The report shows that 64% of employees experience stress related to their duties, and for 25% work is “definitely stressful.” This marks a clear increase compared with 2023, when the figure stood at 54.5%.
Only 13% of respondents say they do not experience work-related tension, while one in four cannot clearly assess the issue.
The highest share of stressed employees is found in larger companies employing 251 to 500 people. These are mainly employees in finance (75%), sales (73%), and customer service and operations teams (72%). High pressure is also reported by management staff (70%). The lowest levels of tension are reported by employees in logistics as well as marketing and PR.
“The reasons for workplace stress vary. It is not only about excessive workload, but also the pace of change, pressure to deliver results, a sense of responsibility, expectations of immediate response, or the need to solve problems quickly. In some organisations, non-standard working hours and multitasking are also major sources of tension,” stressed Magdalena Głuchowska.
Salary Growth in Enterprises – the Employee Perspective
Last year’s survey results differ significantly from those recorded three years earlier. The proportion of people whose pay increased has grown, while the structure of pay rises has also changed.
Only 3% of employees in enterprises said they had received a pay rise of more than 15%, compared with 15.1% two years earlier. At the same time, the share of those whose salary increased by up to 15% rose from 45.6% to 66%. Specifically, 45% of respondents received a 5% increase, while one in five reported a raise in the 6–15% range.
Nearly one in three respondents (31%) said their salary had not changed, which is still a better result than in the previous edition of the survey, when 39.3% reported no salary increase.
The highest pay rises, exceeding 15%, were received mainly by employees in medium-sized and large companies, especially in marketing and PR teams and finance departments. In contrast, unchanged salaries were more often reported by employees in smaller organisations employing 76 to 100 people, particularly in administration and procurement, as well as IT support departments, at 43% and 42% respectively.
Remote and Hybrid Work: The Return to the Office Is a Reality
A comparison with the previous edition of the “Salary and Trends in Enterprises Report” shows that companies now expect teams to be physically present in the office to a much greater extent.
In 2025, 42% of respondents said they worked entirely on-site, compared with 28% three years earlier. Meanwhile, the share of employees working fully remotely declined from 23% to 13%.
At the same time, the importance of the hybrid model, combining office and remote work, is growing. 16% of respondents use this arrangement for up to five days per month, while 13% work outside the office for up to ten days per month.
“Work models vary depending on the nature of the department. In marketing and PR, as many as 43% of employees declare working fully remotely, which results from the nature of their duties and their reliance on digital tools and online communication. In other departments, where physical presence is essential, on-site models dominate – particularly in legal teams (80%), logistics (71%), and administration and procurement (66%),” explained Ewa Michalska, Operations Director at Grafton Recruitment.
The Labour Market Through Employees’ Eyes
Employees assess the labour market less optimistically than they did three years ago. More than half of them (53%) believe that changing jobs would now be difficult, compared with 35% in 2023.
At the same time, the group convinced that there is a wide availability of job offers for their role and that switching employers would be easy has fallen sharply – from 30% to just 13%.
These figures indicate a growing sense of uncertainty, which is consistent with the recruitment slowdown observed last year and employers’ cautious approach to expanding headcount.
The greatest difficulty in finding a new job is reported by IT support teams – as many as 71% see this as difficult today. High uncertainty is also visible in customer service and operations departments (65%), while employees in logistics (42%) and finance (44%) view the situation more calmly. Even fewer concerns are expressed by management staff (35%).
“Employees perceive the labour market as more demanding and less predictable than in previous years. Growing concerns about changing jobs may lead to greater stability, but one driven more by caution than by genuine satisfaction. For companies, this is a clear signal that even with lower turnover, it remains essential to consistently care for a friendly organisational culture, working conditions, opportunities for professional development, and competitive pay,” concluded Ewa Michalska.
Source: Manager Plus
