UNLOCKING EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS: A GUIDE FOR LEADERS
The world is writing a new chapter to go down in history. With the pandemic behind us, inflation easing, and interests expected to be cut, a soft landing is anticipated for our economy. Even with these positive signs flashing loudly, one challenge from 2020 and 2021 that continues to make headlines is employee unhappiness. However, that doesn’t mean it has to continue to prevail. As business managers, you have the power to improve employee happiness, and we at PeopleWorks are here to help you achieve that.
Understanding Employee Happiness
Labeled in many ways over the years—The Great Resignation, The Great Reshuffle, Quiet Quitting— the issue of employee happiness persists. Since late 2020, employee happiness has been a prominent topic in business news, including outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, The Guardian, and The Morning Brew.
The topic isn’t simply lurking behind the scenes but actively causing damage. According to Gallup’s “State of the Global Workforce” report, low employee engagement costs the global economy an estimated $8.9 trillion annually.
However, these reports and articles have merely reported the sobering facts, not offering solutions. This is where Dr. Peter Warr’s research stands out.
6 Factors of Employee Happiness
In the late 1990s, Dr. Warr’s research dove not into the misery of work but how to enhance employee well-being. His research identified six factors that significantly impact employee satisfaction that are still relevant today.
According to Dr. Ed Diener’s 2008 book, Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth, the six factors that significantly impact employee satisfaction are:
- Opportunities for personal control
- Jobs with a variety of tasks
- Supportive supervisors
- Respect and status within the organization
- Good pay and fringe benefits
- Clear requirements and information on how to meet them
As you can see, each factor is fairly self-explanatory, but the area that causes issues is how to implement them.
How to Improve Employee Happiness
While Dr. Warr’s list is simple, implementation doesn’t come as easy as one might expect. However, using this list as a guide, leadership would benefit from engaging in discussions with management and employees. This can be initiated in two ways:
Coaching Conversations:
When coaching an unhappy employee, this list can help keep the conversation focused and action-oriented. Instead of asking, “What is causing your unhappiness at work?” leadership can use this list to ask questions like, “Are any of these factors missing from your experience at work?” or “Which of these factors resonates most with you?” These concrete examples can lead to a more productive conversation.
Personal Reflection:
This list can also serve as a tool to “audit” your own personal dissatisfaction at work. Unhappiness can be hard to articulate, but Dr. Warr’s six factors can help you express what you’re feeling and communicate possible solutions with your boss. For instance, you might say, “I’m feeling worn down by the lack of task variety—are there any new projects I could take on?” or “It seems our team lacks respect within the organization—does that align with your perspective?” Again, using this list keeps your reflection on track and solution-focused.
Improve Employee Happiness with PeopleWorks
Even though Dr. Warr’s list is nearly 25 years old, it remains as relevant as ever. In many ways, it serves as a cheat sheet for senior leaders. Despite what the various news headlines may suggest, employee happiness is achievable. It’s not a mystery; it just takes creative and persistent engagement in a common language to improve clarity and understanding between senior leaders and the rest of the organization.
At PeopleWorks, we empower leaders to create a positive work environment. For tailored strategies for improving employee happiness and engagement in your organization, contact us today to learn more about our leadership development programs and consulting services.