With Love in the Air, The Kenexa Research Institute Asks: Are Workers Passionate?

WAYNE, PA--(Marketwire - February 11, 2010) - With Valentine's Day right around the corner, the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI), a division of Kenexa® (NASDAQ: KNXA), a global provider of business solutions for human resources, researched, "What makes an employee passionate about his/her job?" The results originate from an analysis of the WorkTrends™ database, an annual survey of worker opinions conducted by KRI.

Having passion for one's job is defined by the extent to which employees are excited about their work, feel a sense of personal accomplishment, are extremely satisfied with their organization, believe they have a future at their organization, and rarely think about finding a new job.

Globally, 56% of surveyed employees feel passionate about their jobs. Employees in India (72%), Brazil (63%), Canada (60%), and the United States and Germany (59%) report the most passion followed by those in Saudi Arabia and Russia (58%). Workers in Japan (41%) are the least likely to feel passionate.

Employees in the United States report that they are passionate about their jobs when their skills and abilities are put to good use; they can meet career objectives and still devote time to personal obligations; have an opportunity for development; have confidence in the company's future; and are recognized for their work.

The intensity to which employees are passionate about their jobs varies among different jobs types. In the United States, senior/middle managers (68%) report the most passion for their jobs followed by professional/technical workers (65%), supervisors and salespeople (57%), and clerical workers (56%). Service and production workers (55%) report the least amount of passion.

In the United States, having passion for one's job also varies notably across industries. Workers in the hi-tech industry (66%) are the most passionate, followed by those in the healthcare services (63%), financial (60%), manufacturing (57%) and government (56%) industries. Those in retail (55%) report the lowest levels of passion.

Brenda Kowske, research consultant, Kenexa Research Institute, said, "Similar to romantic passion, workers won't put up with a miserable relationship for long. As the economic outlook continues to improve, it would behoove leaders to 'play cupid.' Elevating an employee's passion for his/her job will keep employees happy and committed, even when other attractive opportunities come their way."

About WorkTrends™

The Kenexa WorkTrends database is a comprehensive normative database of employee opinions on topics including leadership, employee engagement and customer orientation. Comparisons are available for workers from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

About Kenexa

Kenexa® provides business solutions for human resources. We help global organizations multiply business success by identifying the best individuals for every job and fostering optimal work environments for every organization. For more than 20 years, Kenexa has studied human behavior and team dynamics in the workplace, and has developed the software solutions, business processes and expert consulting that help organizations impact positive business outcomes through HR. Kenexa is the only company that offers a comprehensive suite of unified products and services that support the entire employee lifecycle from pre-hire to exit. Additional information about Kenexa and its global products and services can be accessed at www.kenexa.com.