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The most quoted jobs metric in the world, “Unemployment,” is misleading. And because we lack metrics to asses the quality of a position, we are also facing a problem in defining what a good job is. But recent undertakings shed more light on the matter, revealing where all the great jobs are, complete with the deficits that remain.

Gallup’s first World Poll was conducted a decade ago, in 2005. Then, like now, it was found that people crave a good job. Crudely speaking, this means 30+ hours per week and a decent paycheck. 1.3 billion out of the world 5 billion adults have a good job, based on this definition. 12% of these are engaged at work, in what can be considered not just a good job, but a great job.

Globally, out of an estimated 3.2 billion adults who are either employed or actively seeking employment, only 5% have a great job. That’s 161 million people out of 5 billion!

So, what defines these high-quality positions that only a few people are lucky to occupy? The poll uncovered that the wide deficit between “good jobs” and “great jobs” is emotional disconnection from the workplace. This also causes people with good jobs to be less productive than those with great jobs. The surveyors stress that it is in a country’s best interest to try to overcome this barrier, as it harms job growth and personal prosperity, which ultimately impacts the state’s economy. But surely most businesses will put themselves first. Using better metrics to understand the quality of a job will be a good place to start, according to the report.

Develop your own metrics

This one we’re sharing from experience. When you know your company’s pains and gains, you also know which knobs to tweak. What we can personally attest to is that having an office space that feels like home is one of the best things you can do to promote a relaxed experience that fosters real teamwork. The job takes care of itself when you enjoy doing it. Our metrics?

• the number of times we laugh every day
• how often we mark “done” on the whiteboard
• how much natural light floods the office
• how pleased our customers are
• our energy levels at the end of the day

These are not factors specific to any particular business, which is why we recommend this recipe to everyone we talk to, from friends and family to partners, clients, and potential customers. That includes you! 😉 We do have a secret weapon, though. We can’t say what that is, since it’s a secret.

Okay, if you insist! The reality is you can’t do business only with a well-lit space and air (unless you’re a plant). You also need an agile infrastructure and the tools to leverage it. This is where our big secret comes in. The tools we develop and sell to our clients are the very tools we employ to communicate and collaborate internally and externally. Yes, you’re welcome to give them a try and see for yourself. Here’s one, and here’s the other.

For a list of great jobs worldwide, download the original Gallup report – Where the Great Jobs Are – (subscription required) and scroll down to the bottom. So, how would you rate your job on a scale from 1 to 10, and why?