Happiness at Work

I’ve written before about research supporting the importance of employee satisfaction and happiness. I just came across more recent research conducted in the United Kingdom by Chiumento on Happiness at Work. (You can e-mail Chiumento for a copy of the report.)

Here are the top ten factors (ranked in order) that impact employee happiness. Note: while these findings are similar to previous research here in the U.S., they may not be applicable in other countries.

What Makes Us Happy at Work

• Friendly, supportive colleagues
• Enjoyable work
• Good boss or line manager
• Good work-life balance
• Varied work
• Belief that we’re doing something worthwhile
• Feeling that what we do makes a difference
• Being part of a successful team
• Recognition for our achievements
• Competitive salary.

What Makes Us Unhappy at Work

• Lack of communication from the top
• Uncompetitive salary
• No recognition for achievements
• Poor boss/line manager
• Little personal development
• Ideas being ignored
• Lack of opportunity for good performers
• Lack of benefits
• Work not enjoyable
• Not feeling that what I do makes a difference.

These factors also relate to employee engagement – measured in the research by how much employees care about their organization’s success and how much they feel they personally contribute to this success. According to Chiumento, “If you treat your staff fairly and ensure good lines of communication you will help them feel happier which in turn encourages them to give more discretionary effort.”

More on this in my next post …