The article probes the issue of employee contentment and job satisfaction, which have been shown to significantly influence the effectiveness of personnel-oriented activities in enterprises and the perception of employers in the eyes of employees. The article discusses the results of empirical research into employee satisfaction in medium-sized Polish enterprises in the food sector, including satisfaction derived from work in a specific company. The author presents the influence of work conditions on employee satisfaction, paying special attention to interpersonal relations and possibilities for professional and personal growth. The article describes how top-level managerial personnel in the analyzed companies perceives the role of various personnel-oriented activities, which in many cases have proven completely underestimated and are thus co-responsible for insufficient employee satisfaction.