Being happy at work

Happiness, if I may say so

Permanent stress, lack of recognition, inadequacy of resources, poor communication, stagnating salaries… There are countless reasons for unhappiness at work. For some employees, this leads to imagining themselves in another company. For others, burnout creeps in. And yet, there is no inevitability. Happiness can be cultivated and established in the workplace. Here are some concrete ways to achieve it.

In the United States, 40% of workers wish to change jobs as soon as possible. In France, 38% of employees claim to be unhappy at work. In Belgium, 36% do not always feel good about their professional situation. This presents a complex situation for HR. Moreover, managers and leaders tend to overestimate their employees’ well-being. An example? There is a 12% gap between what employers (77%) and employees (65%) think regarding satisfaction concerning working conditions.

What makes employees happy?

No two employees are the same. The impact of certain measures and proposals will not be the same for two different individuals. However, analysis of numerous studies on what makes workers happy indicates 4 priority areas for understanding happiness at work.

1. Calm and warm human relationships

Relationships are the first cornerstone needed to build professional happiness. You know, those little moments of exchanges with people who appreciate us and whom we appreciate in return. People with whom to discuss our projects, but also talk about ourselves, our children, and our lives outside of work. Therefore, it is essential, as HR or a manager, to encourage these moments, or even to initiate them.

2. Giving meaning to work

The second cornerstone is the meaning that we can bring to our work. In simple terms, we need to know that our contributions matter to society and the company we are in. We need to see the value of our work in order to recognize that we are not doing things for nothing. This need for meaning is, in fact, one of the main reasons the new generation decides to stay in a job or accept a new one.

In recent years, HR vocabulary has also been enriched by a new term that refers to this feeling of uselessness: “Brown-out.” This describes the absurdity or negativity in certain jobs that causes real discomfort for the employee.

3. Recognition

As children, we expect adults to acknowledge our abilities and encourage us. We learn to talk, walk, read, write, and become independent in this way.

Spoiler alert: many of us remain big children in the professional world. We appreciate recognition for our efforts, flexibility, skills, and work. Moreover, appreciation and gratitude foster confidence and respect.

4. Freedom

Freedom is often cited by employees as a trigger for well-being and happiness at work. This is even truer for younger generations who have learned to be more independent and less “supervised.”

An innovative model: the liberated company

The world is evolving, and companies are too. In recent years, some organizations have decided to become liberated companies.

In concrete terms, the “liberated” model is based on two main principles. The first is to allow all employees to take individual initiatives rather than following directives imposed by their hierarchy. Controls and monitoring are also rethought. The second principle involves a shift from a vertical hierarchy to a horizontal one. Every employee self-manages or forms small groups.

Trust and responsibility thus go hand in hand. As Isaac Getz, a professor at ESCP Europe and author of The Liberated Company, points out: “You grant freedom and responsibility.” Trust, therefore, excludes control.

And you know what? Employees in liberated companies report feeling happier than average.

Do you want to go further? You can read the book by author Frédéric Laloux, Reinventing Organizations, a best-seller widely acclaimed by critics.

Cliché: Money brings happiness 

Does money equate to professional happiness? This question has been asked countless times, and the answer is nuanced. Salary brings personal satisfaction, but only in the short term and up to a certain threshold. In their book, High Income Improves Evaluation of Life But Not Emotional Well-Being, American psychologists Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel laureate in economic sciences, and Angus Deaton conclude that the link between happiness and money applies only up to a certain amount, specifically $70,000. Anyone earning more than $70,000 per year will not see their happiness level increase proportionately.

Furthermore, satisfaction and motivation associated with a good salary (when hired or when receiving a raise) fade within a few months. The impact on the employee’s well-being and happiness is negligible in the medium to long term.

While money is an important factor in our work, it is not the way to make employees happy.

A happy employee is good for the company 

It’s not just HR that can rejoice in having happy employees. The CFO and CEO can be happy too. A study published by Harvard/MIT just before COVID provides very interesting conclusions.

Being happy at work makes one 31% more productive. Additionally, happy employees are twice as likely to be healthy, six times less likely to be absent, nine times more loyal, and 55% more creative!

Speaking of creativity, the way certain companies operate internally can be a source of happiness. This is explained by American author Daniel Coyle in his book, Culture Code: Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. He highlights Pixar as an example where leaders plan “discomfort moments” with what they call “BrainTrust” meetings. Specifically, during the production of a film, team members are invited to offer sincere feedback to the creators. The only constraint is to be factual and not emotional. They avoid saying “I don’t like” in favor of “I think this aspect will not resonate with the audience for such and such reasons.”

This approach is recognized internally as a bonding agent for the group and, above all, an element that contributes to professional happiness.

Study: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0021886310395514?journalCode=jaba

The recipe for happiness

The famous psychologist and Harvard professor Dan Gilbert published a well-known book: What if Happiness Comes to You. In this book, he distinguishes synthetic happiness from natural happiness. Synthetic happiness results from achieving a goal: a trip, having children, getting married, owning property, working for a specific company, securing a new position… According to him, this happiness is transient and fragile because it does not depend on us; it is external.

On the other hand, there is natural happiness. A happiness that comes from within and can occur whether or not we have achieved our synthetic happiness goals. Nothing occurring outside can alter this state; it belongs to us.

And how do we obtain this recipe for happiness? Dan suggests two steps. The first is to accept that suffering is part of life and not to place undue importance on it. The second step is to realize that we can be happy. This second step is conditioned by five principles:

• We must WANT to be happy.
• We must take care of ourselves (get enough sleep, eat healthily, exercise…).
• We must distance ourselves from toxic individuals (even if we love them).
• We must engage in activities we enjoy (reading, traveling, walking, going to the movies…).
• We must be grateful for what we have and understand that happiness also means desiring what we already possess.

Where are we the happiest at work?

Before the pandemic, a large survey was conducted on happiness in the workplace. The goal was to determine which country had the highest levels of happiness at work among industrialized nations. Employees were asked about the happiness they felt in their jobs. Out of the eight countries surveyed, Belgium ranked second to last, with 65.2% reporting happiness. France ranked last with a score of 63.8%, while the average was 68.1%. The United States ranked first with a score of 71.8%, and Germany took second place with 71.2%.

Note: This study was conducted by the recruitment agency Robert Half in partnership with Happiness Works to reveal the countries where employees are happiest and least stressed. The survey involved over 23,000 professionals working full-time or part-time in eight countries.