Happy Employees make Happier Workplaces

Employees always had a term for that feeling they experience when the job brings out the best in them. They call it happiness. Numerous studies have demonstrated that at workplaces where employees can make a difference, happiness is connected to higher levels of business performance.

In other words, when most people who work for an organisation are happy and energised about their work, things start to roll. New products get invented, customers come at the forefront, collaboration becomes stronger, burnout runs lower and happiness floats through the workplace. According to research by Kansas State University, workplaces that create happy environment for employees can witness a positive impact on job performance and thereby being able to deliver measurable results.

At BI WORLDWIDE, we study employees and what really drives engagement to keep them motivated, inspired and happy. In BI WORLDWIDE’s annual study on employee engagement, conducted in June 2020, we studied 12 aspects of work that are most impactful in driving outcomes like effort, commitment and inspiration eventually heading to happier employees.

On this International Day of Happiness, we bring these 12 aspects that we refer as new rules of engagement, to you to create a happier culture which helps you in driving measurable business results. Here are the new rules of engagement:

1. Get inside their heads- Happiness at work is an individual phenomenon. It is a matter of intense understanding of each unique individual, knowing their abilities, their aspirations and how they work best.
2. Make them fearless- No one can promise job security anymore. But that doesn't mean you can't make your people courageous and able to focus on the organisation's goals rather than self-preservation. Fearless employees find ways to improve the way they work by being honest, committed and happy.
3. Make money a non-issue- Money isn't everything. It only gets you so far. But workplaces that mishandle this emotional area will make it a bigger deal than it has to be. Money motivates but not in the ways people typically believe it does. Before employees can be satisfied with money, they often need to feel recognized and happy to have a future they desire at the workplace.
4. Help them thrive- Work conditions and policies can't help but affect people's health. Getting them right, and with the right intent, doesn't just reduce costs; it invigorates the employees and the business. Being able to avoid burnout is one of the biggest drivers of happiness at work.
5. Make it cool- Talented people don't have to work for boring workplaces and most of them won't. Loosening up and making a uniquely stimulating culture can provide a real competitive edge. Coolness is crucial and is most highly correlated with happiness and performance on the job.
6. Be boldly transparent- There are no more secrets; everything about a company is public, or will be. Behave accordingly. Transparency in actions, thoughts and ideologies can provide a sense of belongingness to the employees and thereby create a culture of happiness.
7. Don’t kill the meaning- People need to be part of something bigger than just a job and a paycheck. Meaning drives higher performance of employees who are happy and committed to a sense of value and purpose.
8. See their future- What people do today is largely motivated by where they think it will take them in the future. Workplaces that are deliberate about helping employees chart that future get those people's best work and happiness.
9. Magnify their success- What a workplace does not recognise, it should not expect to see repeated. Making a big deal of employees' accomplishments ensures the victories will be multiplied.
10. Unite them- People have always been willing to take one for the right team but players get traded much more these days. With people moving between workplaces at a faster pace than ever before, it's never been more important to create conditions that foster strong collaboration. That inspiring condition is nothing but a state of happiness.
11. Let them lead- Employees don't just want their opinions to count. To accomplish all they can for the organisation, they need the chance to take the lead. Opportunities for leadership in the workplace can inculcate a sense of confidence and responsibility that can further growth and happiness for the hardworking workforce.
12. Take it to extremes- Your best people are itching to accomplish something incredible together. Challenge, rally and support your people and you will be struck by what they can do.

These 12 new rules of engagement can help you motivate your employees and improve workplace happiness.