How to Encourage Happiness in the Workplace

Is the British public happy at work? Apparently not! The London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) has revealed that 47% of us want to change jobs, according to new research. More concerning perhaps is more than one in five are actively seeking to take up a new role in the next 12 months – a massive indicator that the British job industry is changing.

Young people were those most disgruntled. Two-thirds of 18-34-year-olds claimed they would like new job. However, many of those who are unhappy are cautious about changing careers as they fear financial instability.

So, with so many people seemingly stuck in jobs they dislike, how can you make your company a happier place to work? As a happy employee is up to 12% more productive, happiness is vital at both employee and management levels. Whatever position you hold, take on board these tips to make your working life more fulfilling.

Increase your skills with further training

You are well within your rights as an employee to approach your superior and inquire about additional training that you feel would benefit your workplace. The worst they can say is no, but most should be receptive to the idea. Not only can it lead to you picking up new skills and feeling more valuable, it is also beneficial for the business. According to a report by Andries De Grip and Jan Sauermann, training led to a nine per cent % increase in staff productivity.

If you’re a manager looking for new ways to improve the workplace, you should consider adopting an innovation strategy.

Create a regular touch point with your staff/manager

Regular meetings could provide essential support to both managers and employees.  Consulting one another in the workplace is a great way to keep projects moving and avoids any kind of anxiety about unclear instructions. Creating an atmosphere of friendly cooperation is conducive to a good working relationship.

Cultivate co-worker culture

A communication culture can enhance the spirit of cooperation in the workplace, so open-plan offices have become increasingly popular with new tech start-up companies and the millennial generation. This culture often leads to an increase of happiness, which in turn leads to a higher level of productivity. Harvard researchers Phil Stone and Tal Ben-Shahar found that students who had social support at school and at home were happier and better at dealing with stress. Carrying this kind of support into the workplace sets strong foundations for an increase in overall happiness.

A great way to increase morale is by holding regular staff nights out, team meetings and office sweepstakes. As a manager, it’s important to budget for this type of activity, as you’ll be repaid in increased productivity. As an employee, do anything you can to get involved. Even if your workplace doesn’t provide much for your team, you can set up your own internal sweepstakes or fantasy sport leagues to help boost happiness and keep things on track.

If your employees are happy, they’ll be productive, so make happiness your priority and you’ll see an improvement in your working environment.

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About Dequiana Jackson

Dequiana Jackson, Founder of Inspired Marketing, Inc., helps overachieving women entrepreneurs conquer limiting beliefs and create marketing plans that grow their businesses. This includes one-on-one marketing plan development, digital product creation, web design and content marketing. Dequiana is the author of Know Your Business: How to Attract Ideal Clients & Sell More and runs the award-winning blog, Entrepreneur-Resources.net.

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2 comments

  1. This post is interesting to, some people at work are not happy for they are lack of communication and coordination. But this could give good ideas, and more positive mindset to every workers who are not that happy in their workplace.

  2. Something as simple as a smile and a “Good morning!” can be enough to turn bad day right around. Being upbeat and genuine in your approach boosts your team’s self-esteem, causing them to be more motivated and reminds them that working with you is pretty great. A happy work environment attracts good people and in turn, promotes a culture of productivity and accountability – a stressful environment will most definitely destroy your company culture.

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