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In today’s society, many companies still see happiness as an intangible, a “nice to have” rather than making it a priority.
Employers can actively cultivate an environment that contributes to employees’ feeling happy at work. Although you can’t force your employees to be happy or control all the factors that contribute to happiness – you still have the ability to promote positivity at work.
As a result, this will play a significant role in work quality and productivity to answer the question, happiness at work – is it necessary?
Who doesn’t like working in an environment where everyone is helping each other? Simply, happiness is also good for our health – less burnout, frustration, illness and absenteeism.
Although there is no universal formula that works for everyone – there are factors that have been found to directly affect employee happiness:
To begin, how do we define what happiness is?
Happiness at work can come from a variety of contexts:
People often confuse happiness as the “fleeting moments of gratifications.” Dr Carter believes that happiness is our ability to access “a wide range of positive emotions” – such as hope, optimism, inspiration, gratitude and confidence.
Happiness at work boils down to 3 emotions:
What does a healthy work-life balance look like?
Life can be messy and doesn’t always fit into the 9-5 workday. Companies are now recognising the many benefits of providing employee flexibility. Especially in a time like now where it seems as though the whole world is working from home.
Employers are seeing fewer sick days and overall more productivity in the workplace.
We have to make sure that our employees are having the flexibility to have a dynamic lifestyle outside the office.
Whether it’s offering flexible work arrangements, working from home, or encouraging them to take time off- this is critical to preventing employee burnout.
It is essential to provide excellent employees with opportunities for growth.
Whether it comes in a promotion, offering development opportunities or simply learning new responsibilities – people are now craving growth and professional development in the workplace.
People tend to leave their jobs when they come to believe that there is nothing else that can provide them with personal or professional growth.
Nobody wants to be doing the same thing forever.
What are the values that your company embodies? What cool company perks do you offer?
Although this does not completely guarantee a good company culture, it sure does influence employee happiness. Focusing on building a strong company culture that embodies positive values will improve employee communication, cooperation, collaboration and feed into innovation!
“When a manager embodies positivity, their influence touches their team, clients and even their clients’ customers.”
As a manager – even if you can’t control all the factors – you sure can help to create the right conditions for it
When it comes to decision making, as an employer, you must strive for fairness and transparency.
What this entails is being clear in your policies such as pay and promotions.
Try to create a culture that employees feel heard, are appreciated for their efforts and that if they do feel a sense of inequity- provide them with the opportunity to speak out.
Make sure praise is sincere, specific to the situation and given as soon as possible.
Also, encourage employees to take initiative in their decision making- this will help to build their confidence and make them feel more invested in their job that they’re making more meaningful contributions to the company.
By showing appreciation and empowering your employees, you will instil loyalty and in turn creating a positive work environment. Happiness at work – it really is necessary!
When we all help one another, everyone wins.
Human Resources for Consulting Small and Medium Businesses in Adelaide and South Australia. Simple, and tailored advice, what you need and not what you don’t.