Happiness at work isn’t about perks  - Blair McPherson

There is compelling evidence that it pays to invest in your employees’ happiness. Research findings are clear that happier employees are more productive . Happy employees are more energised at work and intend to stay in their job longer, according to iOpener Institute. But what does being happy at work actually mean? Why is happiness considered the antidote to poor performance? Isn’t happiness just a woolly concept? Should workforce happiness even be on the agenda in the current tough economic climate? What does making happy employees mean in real terms for HR and an organisation’s leadership. 

HR know what makes people unhappy- bad managers and spiteful colleagues. Grievances against managers typically refer to aggressive, bullying, unsupportive ,unreasonable inconsistent, unpredictable and moody behaviour . Where as complaints against colleagues are most frequently allegations of racism, homophobia, sexism and hostile uncommunicative colleagues. In such cases people say they like their job just not their , manager/colleague(s) which explains why you can have high job satisfaction or employees satisfaction levels yet grievances, complains and a high turnover. 

 

Happiness includes feeling valued and that your work has meaning/makes a difference . It is reflected in a positive attitude, increased engagement and greater productivity. Happiness is increasingly associated with wellbeing and healthy work life balance. Couple this with a compassionate management culture and friendly cooperative colleagues and the result is lower turnover over , reduced absences and increased productivity. 

 

So if you want a happier more productive workforce examine how the organisation treats employees. How serious is it about employee health and well-being? Does the way the organisation does business  live up to it’s corporate value statements? Is the organisation genuine about it’s efforts to engage with employees? Do employees feel valued and do they feel they are treated fairly? This is a challenging agenda it’s not surprising if some organisations think it is easier to offer free gym membership. 

 

Blair Mcpherson former director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk