EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND INTERNAL MARKETING PROBLEMS IN GEORGIA
Authors:   Akaki Tsereteli State University, Valishvili Tea , Genelidze Lia 
Published: December 2023

The phrase "the customer is always right" was universally accepted for quite a long time. It's clear that customer retention is impossible without motivated, case-oriented professional employees. But time has changed, organizations face new challenges, and companies often have to choose in favor of employees in disputed situations. The main reason for this is that the loss of a good employee can cost the business more than loss of the one particular customer. In the new reality, the measure of business success is not just financial profit but also its positive image, which is unthinkable without effective internal marketing. It means creating a worthwhile internal environment for employees to achieve business goals. Internal marketing plays a significant role in the development of the company. Foreign companies are constantly working to create better requirements for their employees. The development of internal marketing in Georgia is in the initial phase, the literature is relatively small, but there is a high interest from successful companies. The article discusses internal marketing, its origin and importance, the peculiarity of its use, the practice introduced by foreign companies, and the assessment of Georgian examples and reality. A questionnaire survey was conducted for the article, where 65 people were interviewed. The purpose of the research was to study employees' satisfaction with the work environment, to determine their views and preferences, to analyze the current situation in companies regarding internal marketing, to discover the existing problems, and to determine the ways of their elimination. When asked if they would change their job if there were an alternative, 58% of the respondents answered positively (which is a very high rate), only 17% refused, and 25% did not have an exact answer. 32% of the respondents continue to work in their position, because of career advancement, 22% because of a lack of alternatives, 19% for the friendly team, and a smaller number of the respondents answer satisfaction with the work-life balance, good wages, and fear of new things. When choosing a job, the respondents gave decisive importance to the following main aspects: opportunity for development (72%), high salary (52%), and comfortable working environment (34%). 40% of the respondents had at least once a problem with a vacation at the desired time; 20% had an issue when they could not use their vacation. Such facts lead to a violation of the work-life balance, and over time is reflected in ineffective work, loss of motivation, and less initiative. 63% of respondents answered that they are familiar with the Labor Code in Georgia, while 37% are not, which indicates that employees have no idea about their rights, the employer's obligations, and exemplary activities. Only 40 to 50% of the respondents answered that the management takes into account the needs of employees, encourages new ideas/initiatives, is interested in the opinion of employees, offers to participate in the discussion in case of problems, and suggests training for career and personal growth. On the contrary, 20-30% of respondents are occasionally dissatisfied with the above-mentioned issues, they do not agree with their colleagues and believe that the management isn't focused on eliminating the work problems of employees, they have to take work home and have less time for work-life balance. When asked whether believe that their income corresponds to the work done, only 22% of the respondents answered positively, 35% answered negatively, and 43% believed that it partially did. 29% reported that they have difficult working conditions, in the form of busy work schedules, short break hours, aggressive customer service, and undervaluation of their work. As the results show, the majority of companies only offer health insurance and corporate evenings to employees; A relatively small part (up to 45%) to financial incentives, bonuses, and non-financial incentives (training, seminars). It is noteworthy that an abundance of employees does not see themselves in the mentioned company after three years, which once again assures us that they are not satisfied with the current situation. As a result of the survey, it was announced that internal marketing in Georgian companies is slightly developed, and the majority of employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, work schedule, number of vacation days, pay, and small opportunities for promotion. For most of them, it is difficult to maintain the balance of life and work, as well as the lack of self-development. The survey shows that Georgian companies should start paying more attention to internal marketing to achieve success. Instead of minimum incentives, insurance packages, and corporate evenings for employees, implementation of individual events tailored to them, which will give people the opportunity for self-realization and dynamic work, and the job will not be just a way to get earnings.