There is a saying in the corporate world – “If you dread Mondays, it’s time to switch your job; if you dread your weekends, it’s time to change your social circle.” Ponder on this saying for a moment and ask yourself, “Is the company I own or manage creating cultures of happiness or well-being?"
If the answer to this question is no, it is costing your company thousands and possibly millions of dollars depending on the size of your company.
So what exactly is an unhappy employee? Unhappy employees are disengaged employees, and cost US companies a shocking $450 to $550 billion each year in lost productivity. Many Americans are becoming increasingly unhappy with their jobs and work environments and it’s having a major impact on the bottom line of most companies.
So why should every company want their employees to be satisfied and happy at work? Simply because a happy employee is an efficient and productive employee. But how does one achieve it? The fact is this has been proven time and again across different organizations around the world. Happiness and productivity are interlinked – A happy employee is productive and a productive employee is usually happy.
- Let's take a look at the values that a happy employee brings to an organization:
- Employees put in extra efforts when they are happy.
- Happiness is a great motivator and helps in channelizing your energy in a positive manner and improves problem-solving ability.
- The quality of work done by a satisfied or happy employee is much higher as opposed to an employee who is "merely doing his job."
- They are creative and think outside the box for solutions.
- They are goal oriented and are willing to walk the extra mile to achieve their goals, as job satisfaction boils down to doing well at the assigned job.
- They work towards achieving the bigger goal and make better team players.
- They are better decision makers and usually quick learners.
- They try to keep out of other people’s drama and focus on performing better at the assigned task.
- They are optimistic and keep away from bickering and instead focus their energies on providing solutions.
- They do not procrastinate and look forward to newer challenges.
- They bring positivity to the table and in turn motivate others on the team. Their energy is contagious, which in turn helps in improving the overall mood of the team.
These are some of the aspects that link happiness with efficiency and vice versa. If you look around you and find employees who seem to be satisfied with their job, you will notice they are usually the star performers and are well appreciated.
As a leader, you should do your part to ensure that your workforce is a happy one, because happiness at work doesn’t necessarily come from within – it is a combination of various factors. Your responsibility as a leader is to cultivate the right work culture that motivates employees to perform better, which in turn will have a powerful impact on their productivity.
Here are some tips that you can follow as a figure of authority in an organization, which will help improve the overall happiness quotient and productivity factor in your employees:
- Recognize an employee's contribution
- Provide growth opportunities
- Offer timely feedback
- Have an open door policy
- Promote an independent work culture
- Encourage decision-making
As long as you fulfill your end of the bargain as a leader, it is easy to cultivate the right work ethos in your team. This will be your contribution towards converting an employee to a happy employee – which ultimately has a huge influence on improving their productivity and the company's bottom line.