Jobtalk Survey: Characteristics of Companies with High Work-Life Balance and Job Satisfaction for Both Men and Women – Environments that Foster Self-Management and Proactiveness

Livesense Inc. (Representative Director and President: Taichi Murakami, Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Securities Code: 6054) operates the job review site 'Jobtalk' (URL: https://jobtalk.jp/). Based on 132,669 employee reviews from 1,429 domestic companies, it analyzed male and female satisfaction levels regarding 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction.'

The results showed that companies where both 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction' were highly rated by both men and women shared a common characteristic: an environment that allows employees to leverage self-management and proactiveness. For employees who are compatible, working in such an environment is a major appeal.

We believe that to choose the right company from many, it's crucial not just to judge by the company's score, but also to look at qualitative review content and assess the compatibility between one's own situation (family structure, living environment, job type, etc.) and values with the company.

【Survey Result Summary】

1. The reality that 'compatibility' between employees' situations/values and the company influences satisfaction with 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction'

2. Companies with high ratings in both 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction' feature reviews mentioning 'an environment that fosters self-management and proactiveness'

【Survey Overview】
Survey Period: Aggregated reviews posted from January 1, 2022, to March 15, 2026

Survey Organization: In-house survey (Livesense Inc.)

Survey Subjects: Companies with at least 5 reviews each from men and women for both 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction' among those posted on Jobtalk

Valid Responses: 132,669 reviews, 1,429 target companies

Survey Method: Aggregated and analyzed in-house review data. Calculated average scores for men and women, and classified the distribution of score differences (gaps) into 7 stages. To exclude the influence of employment types, only posts from regular employees and contract employees were aggregated.

【Survey Results】

1. The reality that 'compatibility' between employees' situations/values and the company influences satisfaction with 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction'

Upon analyzing male and female satisfaction levels for 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction,' nearly 60% of companies showed a bias exceeding ±0.25 in either male or female evaluations.

* ±0.25 is approximately 0.5 times the standard deviation of score differences (work-life balance: 0.515, job satisfaction: 0.492), set as a guideline for a range with virtually no difference located in the center of the distribution.

When separated by gender, 'work-life balance' showed that companies with higher female satisfaction (32.3%) outnumbered those with higher male satisfaction (25.2%). For 'job satisfaction,' companies with higher female satisfaction (29.2%) also outnumbered those with higher male satisfaction (27.2%), generally resulting in higher female satisfaction in both aspects.

Furthermore, a scatter plot (n=1,429 companies) with male and female score differences for work-life balance and job satisfaction on two axes revealed the following structure:

The central box (approx. 20%) of this scatter plot represents the layer where there is no bias in male and female scores for both work-life balance and job satisfaction. However, the scattered layers outside (approx. 80%) indicate some form of bias. Upon examining each company, various combinations of biases in work-life balance and job satisfaction were observed, with no uniform trend. Therefore, Jobtalk concluded as follows by adding qualitative information from 'reviews' to this data:

Work-life balance is influenced not by system development, but by workplace culture and atmosphere.

Achieving work-life balance requires not only the establishment of systems but also a supportive workplace culture and atmosphere that facilitates their use. Reviews on Jobtalk indicate that in companies with a strong culture of team support, it is easy to take paid leave. However, even with systems in place, there are cases where it is difficult to utilize them due to an 'unfavorable atmosphere' or the nature of the work. Work-life balance is only realized when both systems and culture are in harmony. (Refer to Appendix 1-1 for actual reviews)

The source of job satisfaction depends on individual values. The combination of work and role is key.

How job satisfaction is perceived largely depends on individual circumstances and values, such as job type, work content, and personal aspirations, more than gender. Reviews on Jobtalk feature diverse voices on the forms of job satisfaction, such as the joy of witnessing life's milestones, the sense of accomplishment when a product is released to the world, and growth from a business perspective. This suggests that the combination of work and role influences satisfaction. (Refer to Appendix 1-2 for actual reviews)

2. Companies with high ratings in both 'work-life balance' and 'job satisfaction' feature reviews mentioning 'an environment that fosters self-management and proactiveness'.