Terms such as satisfaction, commitment and motivation are included in job happiness, a concept recognized today but that can only be feasible if companies and employees do their part. Thus, reconciliation, initiative or recognition are some of the fundamental ingredients.
Happiness at work became part of the Human Resources jargon as a synonym for well-being and motivation, all with one goal: to increase employee productivity. Because of this, an investigation carried out by neurologists Richard Davidson and VS Ramachandran and academics such as Shawn Achor, affirms that unhappy people do not add anything positive and negatively affect the company.
Is it possible to get happiness at work? The answer is yes, but as always, it is a matter of two. On the one hand, companies must generate the appropriate policies for this and, on the other, workers have to do their part to make everything work.
WHAT IS IT?
The co-founder of Smart Culture, María García, defines work happiness as “the positive gap between the employee’s experiences and the expectations he has. In the event that these perspectives are superior to the reality you experience, unhappiness or labor frustration occurs”. In addition, he adds that in order to escape demagogy in the treatment of happiness, he proposes “an effective management of people’s expectations, for which a value proposition to the employee that is transparent and aligned with reality is necessary, so that a candidate understands What you can and cannot expect from the company you are going to commit to. It is also important that professionals dedicate time to reflect on their needs and values in the work environment for their incorporation into different projects”.
WHO DOES IT DEPEND ON?
Even if we want, there is no perfect job or company, nor management policies that can satisfy the entire workforce. According to Adecco’s report, 21.3% of employees believe that job happiness has to do with the happiness that bosses transmit; the 15% stated that depends on the company; and only 11.2% think that happiness depends on the attitude of the workers.
The Global Trends in the Workplace 2018 Report by Sodexo points out that 80% of professionals are very clear that empathy in the workplace has to be greater. Likewise, they affirm that a leader’s ability to master empathy in the workplace is related to employee profitability and productivity. For this reason, emotional intelligence becomes the most powerful tool to generate happiness in all facets of people management: selection, recruitment, career development, etc.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACHIEVE HAPPINESS IN COMPANIES:
FOR THE COMPANY
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Flexibility. Generate autonomy to promote the initiative.
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Optimism. Selection of personnel focused on incorporating optimistic people.
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Confidence. Foster trust through the example.
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Commitment. Promote an adequate work environment that increases the involvement of people.
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Enjoy. The formal celebration of successes to savor and delight in the prize for the effort made.
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Learning. Training and training for the development of knowledge and skills.
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Find meaning. Transparent communication to foster the value of honesty and the identification of the company.
FOR THE PEOPLE
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Be flexible. You have to open your mind, changing your mind doesn’t make us weak.
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Be optimistic. Face difficulties with good courage and perseverance. Believing that something is going to work out helps to increase the chances of it.
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Be confident Trust is a magnet for opportunities, saves energy and multiplies equipment productivity.
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Engage. Committed increases its capacity.
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Enjoy and have fun. The sense of humor and laughter increases the quality of life and the feeling of well-being.
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To learn. You can turn the error into an opportunity to learn. The key is in the attitude. Adversity is an environment conducive to learning.