We all know that happy employees are much more productive and creative at their jobs than their unhappy counterparts. Yet, according to Gallup, unhappy employees outnumber happy ones by nearly 2-1 odds in the U.S.
With workplace productivity, employee satisfaction and overall office culture on the line, many companies are paying more attention to the importance of delighting their employees.
Why focus on employee happiness?
In addition to producing high-quality work more efficiently, happy employees tend to stay with their companies longer and become loyal brand champions. They actually like going in to work every day.
Rather than watching a team sulk into the office, bury their heads in cups of coffee and get lost in the daily grind every morning, managers have a responsibility of finding easy (and cheap) ways to brighten their days.
It’s a given that a good paycheck and solid benefits are important for employee satisfaction, but take it a step further to ensure workplace delight. Consider the following three workplace happiness factors: challenges, work-life balance, and rewards.
If workers aren’t challenged to grow and stretch their skills, they quickly become discouraged and lose motivation. Here are a few tips to keep them engaged and satisfied:
Life exists beyond your office walls, and happiness in the workplace has a big effect on overall happiness. If you keep that in mind and show that you care about their well-being as an employer, workers will look forward to being in the office every day.
A few ways you can help improve that work-life balance include offering:
Hard work pays off for a company, so try to reward the employees once in a while, too. To recognize employee contributions, employers can “give back” through:
If you’re investing in employee happiness, you likely want to know what you get in return. One method is the employee Net Promoter Score (ePNS). This uses survey questions to rank attitudes into Promoters, Passives and Detractors to measure overall workplace engagement and satisfaction.
You might also measure happiness the old-fashioned way by paying attention. What perks do your team actually use? Keep the ones they like, get rid of the ones they don’t. Showing that you are paying attention to preferences goes a long way.
Caring about workplace happiness isn’t just about measuring emotions — it’s about improving your bottom line. Keep employees happy and they’ll become more loyal, stay on board longer and produce better results.
