Whether you are entering the workforce for the first time or are an established employee with many years of work under your belt, happiness at work should be more than just a dream. If your work environment does not make you feel happy, it can affect your mental state, your subjective wellbeing, and your overall happiness at work and home.
While older adults may be content with good job security and financial security in well-paying jobs, research shows that younger workers, including Gen Z and Millennials, are struggling with their happiness at work. According to the World Health Organisation, anxiety and depression have increased 25% worldwide. So, it is vital that you assess your mental health and happiness and focus your job search on finding an employer that is committed to having happy employees and a happy workplace.
Before you can embark on a quest to improve your well being by finding a happier work environment, you need to recognise what will make you happy in the workplace, which is the focus of this article.
What creates employee happiness?
A new study conducted by Workmonitor, hints at what makes happier workers. Two crucial elements that will have a positive impact on your well being include finding an employer that offers a good work-life balance and excellent job satisfaction.
Work-life balance
What constitutes a healthy work-life balance has been redefined over the past two years. The pandemic has shown employers and employees that greater working flexibility is possible and can actually stimulate employee productivity.
When you look for a new job, a strong predictor of happiness can be found in whether or not the company supports flexible working arrangements. Does your prospective employer allow remote working or hybrid working and embrace concepts such as flexible start and finish times or the four-day workweek?
Read: How to break free from your 9-5 job
These can significantly affect your work and life balance, eliminating your commute or giving you the flexibility to handle personal obligations, such as caring for your children or elderly relatives. While you don’t want to work for a company offering a low salary, you might find happiness in jobs paying less than your current one, if you can save on travel and childcare costs, among other factors such as not having to buy a business suit or deal with the stress of driving in heavy traffic.
Read: Costs to consider when working from home and taking less money for working at home
Top tip: When job hunting, make it a point to seek out this type of information. Research the business by viewing its career site, reading the job description, and reading about workers' negative and positive experiences on social media and employer review sites.
Job satisfaction
Job satisfaction will help you hit that feel good note. However, job satisfaction is a term often used yet rarely broken down into something meaningful. Workers used to feel satisfied if they could put their professional skills to use and hit their productivity targets.
However, there is a growing body of younger workers who want their work to have meaning and an employer who has values and a mission aligned with their beliefs. Happy people at work are often those who have a deeper connection with their company, which for example, might be having a focus on world issues such as the environment, sustainability, diversity, and social equality.
Other factors that will make you happy in the workplace
1. Money
It is hard to be happy if you don’t have enough money but research shows that there is an earnings limit, where earning more will not create addition happiness in our lives. It is almost impossible to confidently state the optimal salary, as wages are relative to living costs and geography.
Read: Jobs that pay well without a degree
2. Your boss
A good boss plays a significant role in workplace happiness and being satisfied in your job. It will help to seek out bosses that are capable problem-solvers and have strong leadership abilities. When you attend a job interview, remember that you are weighing up your boss, as much as they are weighing up you.
3. Workplace autonomy
Micromanagement creates an unappealing working environment so it is helpful to look for an employer who recognises that greater autonomy leads to more productive workers, positive interactions, increased happiness, and reduced work stress.
4. Variety
Variety is the spice of life and human beings thrive on new tasks, projects, and challenges, to a point. While your potential employer may be looking for a multitasker, variety should be managed else it becomes a stressor. There is little satisfaction in constantly changing to do list that never lets you accomplish anything.
5. Recognition
It goes without saying that you will be happier if your hard work, commitment, and achievements are recognised. Ask your potential boss how they recognise employees and remember that recognition in a company newsletter or on social media can be more satisfying that a small financial bonus.
6. Opportunities and support
Using your professional and personal skills and receiving support for developing new skills will play an important part in your workplace satisfaction. Look for employers who are committed to supporting their people, maintaining their safety in the workplace and seeing them thrive.
Read: Five impactful steps for career growth
Workplace happiness FAQs
What makes people happy at work?
According to research released in the World Happiness Report (WHR), simply having a job is a significant step forward in finding happiness in our lives. Jobs give people meaning and this will lead to better well being, positive emotions, and reduced stress.
Can purpose help us in hard times?
Being productive and having a purpose will help you get through hard times. What gives you purpose is a matter of individual opinion. For some people, a purpose is found in work, while for others it is something else, for example, raising a family, tackling issues such as climate change, or providing free food, clothes, or education for people living in poverty.
