UK workers reveal what the perfect job looks like

An image of office workers gathering and talking amongst themselves
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Details of what UK workers believe to be the perfect job have been revealed following a survey of 2,000 individuals this week.

A £44,000 annual salary is considered to be the average optimum salary to thrive here in the UK and findings revealed workers would like to work 21-30 hours per week.

People in the UK would be most pleased with a total of 29 days annual leave, including a day off for their birthday, the research from Raja Workplace revealed.

Workers also expressed the ideal commute time would be 16-20 minutes which goes against other recent post-pandemic investigations into employees' workplace preferences.

Research from Okta last year contradicted the findings of the office supply company, revealing that most UK workers didn't want to return to the office and their productivity was greater when working remotely.

The 'perfect job' survey showed that just one in three survey respondents are working what they feel to be their perfect job. Other important areas leading to overall job satisfaction are centred around work culture with 95% agreeing it's important for overall satisfaction.

One in three (36%) even said the culture is more important than the salary, and the same proportion of respondents also believe having the ability to talk to colleagues in their workplace setup is vital.

Work benefits also have a significant impact on overall job satisfaction. Regular pay rises, bonuses for exceptional work, an excellent pension, and health insurance rank among the top 10 work perks from a financial perspective.

Workers also expressed a wish to see their employer investing in them and their future, with ample training opportunities, and chances to learn and advance in their careers also proving especially desirable.

Miscellaneous benefits such as casual office dress codes and free refreshments like tea and coffee were also among the most favourable workplace benefits according to the survey.

"It’s great to see so many people already believe they have found their dream job as work is such a huge part of our modern lives,” Andrew Wood, Raja Workplace spokesperson, said to the Independent.

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“There are so many different things employers must take into consideration when designing a workplace and environment for their employees," he added.

The UK tech industry's average salary is up there with the best of them at £62,500, according to CW Jobs, far exceeding what the UK feels is ideal.

The tech sector is also famous for being one of the industries in which it's most common to find jobs with remote work, although ONS data showed remote workers spend more time on the job. However, tech workers are also notoriously overworked and often suffer from burnout.

Connor Jones
News and Analysis Editor

Connor Jones has been at the forefront of global cyber security news coverage for the past few years, breaking developments on major stories such as LockBit’s ransomware attack on Royal Mail International, and many others. He has also made sporadic appearances on the ITPro Podcast discussing topics from home desk setups all the way to hacking systems using prosthetic limbs. He has a master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield, and has previously written for the likes of Red Bull Esports and UNILAD tech during his career that started in 2015.