The customer service department of a Swiss financial institution is struggling to attract qualified employees and keep them motivated in the long term. Staff turnover is high because the work involves repetitive tasks, performance pressure, and intensive customer interactions. These circumstances bear risks for the service quality and the well-being of employees. In a competitive environment such as the finance industry, the bank is faced with rising employee expectations regarding flexible working hours, career development, and leadership.

This work combined academic sources, a survey, and employee and team leader interviews in a mixed methods approach. An anonymous questionnaire was sent to all employees with customer contact in the relevant departments to gather data on the drivers of employee satisfaction. Next, team leaders and employees were interviewed to investigate the causes and correlations in more detail. The survey data was analysed descriptively and the interviews were coded thematically. The results of both methods were triangulated and compared with the gathered literature.

Overall employee satisfaction ranged from moderate to high, but varied significantly between departments and by length of service. A strong alignment between actual tasks and employee expectations had a positive impact on satisfaction. Supportive leadership, a positive team climate, career development opportunities, and flexible working conditions emerged as the most influential drivers of satisfaction. In contrast, rigid working hours, high performance pressure, challenging customer interactions, and inconsistent recognition reduced employee well-being. The interviews highlighted the importance of clear communication, effective mentoring, and providing realistic insights into the role prior to hiring. Based on these findings, key recommendations include offering realistic job information during recruitment, fostering ongoing career development, and increasing flexibility in working arrangements, among others. Implemented in close cooperation with responsive leadership, these measures are expected to reduce turnover, boost engagement, and enhance service quality.