Happiness starts from within – and in the business context, that starts with culture.
A shocking 94% of executives and 88% of employees surveyed by Deloitte believe a distinct workplace culture is important to business success. And yet only 19% of executives think their company has the “right culture.” The value of an engaged and meaningful company culture can’t be overstated, especially in today’s hyper-competitive business environment.
Creating a work culture that promotes employee happiness isn’t only the right thing to do; it’s good for business too.
For example, a great customer experience drives business growth and success. Still, many companies fail to acknowledge that the people delivering the customer experience – the employees – must come first. As a result, happiness is part of an organization’s corporate social responsibility.
So, in case you might be wondering, are employers responsible for employees’ happiness?
The simple answer is – no.
But do they benefit from it?
Yes!
Below are some examples which help organizations generate happiness:
- Learn what happiness means to your employees
- Create a happiness at work program
- Invest in the self-development of employees
- Provide wellness and mental health programs
- Celebrate their progress, achievements, and successes
- Prioritize mental health in the workplace with a balanced workload
- Consciously create space to share positive work experiences
- Always act on employee feedback
- Pay them fairly
- Show recognition and appreciation for their contributions
- Reinforce teamwork with team-building activities
- Be present, attentive, and check-in frequently
- Provide choice, control, and autonomy wherever possible
Gina Balarin, Founder and Director of Verballistics, gave an insightful response on how to be happy at work by quoting Dan Pink’s book Drive.
Gina says, “Being happy at work comes down to three things: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
When we have enough autonomy (i.e., the ability to do things independently – without micro-management) at work, we can bring our creativity, passion, and ingenuity to the role. Without it, we suffer from boredom, lethargy, and frustration.
If we are able to drive ourselves to improve what we do, how we do it, or feel like we’re making something better, we have control over our actions and can learn and grow in our role and as a person.
Lastly, every employee needs to know why what they do matters. The purpose isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s critical to human happiness and wellbeing. Even the poorest paid employees can enjoy their work if they know they’re contributing towards something meaningful.”