Upping Your Workplace Happiness Factor

Dedicated Happiness Roles

Do you remember way back in 2014 when Big Viking Games in London, ON., hired the first ‘happiness engineers’ to create a low-stress work environment in a high-stress industry? The video game company was (and still is) dedicated to doing just about anything to keep their employees happy. Their arsenal of happiness includes daily catered lunches, a soft-serve ice cream machine, and even puppies. Albert Lai, co-founder of Big Viking Games, believed that if the company creates a happier work environment everyone would want to be a part of it. He then hoped that they would attract the best people for every position in the company. He knew he would get a return on his investment from the quality of the employees they hired.

Big Viking Games Happiness Coordinator’s primary goal was to ensure the happiness of all Viking employees by executing on their perks, assisting with company events, and even stocking the pantry with groceries and other necessities like cookies. But let’s be clear, it is not their job to keep people happy 24/7. Frankly, it is impossible for people to be happy 100% of the time. Their job was to create work environments where employees could bring the best of themselves to the workplace and fulfil their aspirations.

Fast forward. The Director of Happiness at Social Chain outlines that their duty is to create a fun and enjoyable workplace for staff by celebrating all staff achievements, organizing group activities, arranging classes on valuable life skills and creating welcoming spaces that encourage creativity. Companies like Etsy have gone so far as to create their own Gross Happiness Index.

Creating an environment where employees can bring the best of themselves to the workplace and fulfil their aspirations is still the main goal of most successful leaders. Hiring a happiness engineer like Big Viking Games or a Director of Happiness may not be an option for all companies, however…all companies can benefit from upping the happiness factor in their workplace in order to create a positive and productive workplace.

Employee Happiness As A Business Strategy

Happy employees are engaged employees. An engaged employee is someone who works with passion and feels a profound connection to their company. They drive innovation and move the organization forward.

Happiness does not just happen. It has to be worked at. Happiness is a changeable state.

Happiness can be either a feeling or a way of showing, meaning that happiness is not necessarily an internal or external experience, but can be both. A good chunk of our happiness (about 40%)seems to be controlled by our thoughts, actions and behaviours. (Sonja Lyubomirsky)

So why does this matter? A UK study in the Journal of Labor Economics found that happier workers are about 12% more productive than those who are not. Happier people were found to have less cortisol and hence less stress, than those who were less happy.

Companies with happy employees were found to outperform the competition by 20% (University of Warwick’s Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy), have 37% higher sales (Harvard Business Review), have employees who take 10X fewer sick days (iOpener Institute for People and Performance), were 3x more creative (Harvard Business Review), and were more likely to stay with their employers for the long term.

Understanding this, Amazon has gone so far as to have offered $5,000 to its warehouse employees to quit if they were not happy. The thinking behind this is that an employee staying somewhere they don't want to be isn’t healthy for the employee or the company. The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want.

Human capital management specialists can look at all of their processes to ensure a happy experience by ensuring that onboarding, career planning, performance management, engagement and recognition, all the way to off-boarding and retirement, are designed with a happiness-oriented approach.

How You Can Achieve A Happy Culture Without A CHO

Ensure the foundation is solid. If the basic needs of an employee are not being met, there is no point in trying to increase their happiness level. Are they compensated fairly? Do they have the resources to do the job effectively? Is their time and experience valued and respected? Do you hire, fire, and promote based on your company values?

Give your people a voice. Ask your teams what suggestions, large and small, will create a happier workplace for them. Even small steps are noticed and appreciated. Try not to make the mistake of looking at these as minor details. As Big Viking Games Co-Founder Albert Lai believed, unhappy employees are not giving you their best. This is impacting your bottom line. Encourage open communication, constructive feedback, and recognition of achievements.

Give employees the freedom to choose. Let employees manage their schedule and productivity to the extent that it makes sense for team functioning, as well as the ability to personalize or choose their workspace (at home or in the office) and implement their ideas.

Encourage an enjoyable environment. This involves employees doing things they find enjoyable in the office, such as having open conversations with colleagues or learning a new skill, bringing a pet, taking time for naps, and more. Offer training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities to help employees develop new skills and advance their careers. Very few people are naturally prone to perform well in teams without instruction and guidance. Emphasize the importance of teamwork and collective success over individual achievements. Spend time on team building exercises, effective communication, stress management, and conflict resolution to ensure that each team member feels informed and empowered to share their wishes and improve their own happiness level.

Conclusion

In setting happiness goals within an organization, human capital management specialists play an important role as stewards of employee well-being and organizational success. Monitoring and analyzing the happiness levels in your organization will help you to predict and manage employee engagement and retention. You will not be able to please everyone or make everyone happy, but the majority of your people will respect your efforts and this will positively impact your corporate environment.

However, perhaps the most impactful strategy is leading by example. By embodying the values of empathy, integrity, and authenticity, human capital management specialists can inspire others to follow suit, creating a ripple effect throughout the organization. When leaders prioritize employee happiness and demonstrate a commitment to the organization's values, they not only cultivate a positive work environment but also empower employees to give their best. As Lai rightly believed, happy employees are indeed the cornerstone of a thriving organization, driving productivity, innovation, and ultimately, the bottom line.

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