Performance is directly linked to the states of satisfaction and happiness of employees. However, the ways to achieve this state of happiness are very complex. Here are a few ways, tested and found effective, to create a 'happy' culture in your sphere of working.
1. Personally thank an employee for a specific job well done. Specify what was good about it and why you appreciate it, which tells the employee you do pay attention. For example, say: "Thank you, Jim, for organizing that project so well. You made it very clear what should happen, when, and why."
2. Put that specific praise in a letter or thank-you note. When you take the time to write something down, you clearly value it. This makes the praise even more meaningful. When appropriate, copy the employee's manager on your praise letter. Sharing the praise with management lets the employee know you support his or her success at your company.
3. Provide as much information as possible about the company. Share as much as you can about how the company is doing, where it's making money, where it's losing money, how its products are doing in the marketplace, what new initiatives are being considered and why, and how the employee can best contribute to these efforts.
4. At every opportunity, include your employees in the decisions you make. In many cases, your employees understand a side of an issue that you may not. If you need to create a more efficient delivery system, ask your delivery men and women how they would improve the current system. If you want to improve workflow for support staff, discuss with your secretaries and clerical workers how to best keep the work flowing. Use their ideas, and give them credit for them.
5. Give employees the opportunity to learn as many new skills as they are able to. Most people like to learn, to grow, and to improve their marketability, and the more skills you enable your employees to learn, the more they will value their position with you. Cross-train whenever possible so employees know each other's jobs. An added benefit is that employees who understand the realities of one another's positions are more willing to cooperate and feel more like members of the same team.
6. Celebrate successes. Celebrate an employee's successful completion of a project, a salesperson's landing a big client, your company's improved sales figures, your organization's successful year-end. After a particularly tense week, bring donuts and coffee and gather everyone together to applaud a hard-working team. Provide balloons and noisemakers for a rousing chorus of cheers for the completion of a difficult project. Buy a plastic crown at a party store to place on the head of an employee who mastered a difficult skill or finished a course of study. Mark the successes of your staff and celebrate them. Don't be afraid to be goofy in your celebration; it's a refreshing change from hard work.
7. Provide free time and flexibility. Set aside an hour here and there for employees who have delivered an extra level of work. Make it clear that the free time is a reward for a specific accomplishment, such as finishing a challenging project or delivering month-end reports early. Alternatively, you can reward all your employees together, for example, by letting them leave an hour early to miss rush-hour traffic on a day of expected heavy traffic. Give extra time for lunch to an employee or team who has worked through lunch to deliver something to a client. Allow time off for personal or family responsibilities.
8. Admittedly, these rewards are not entirely free. They require time and energy to implement, at a minimal cost. However, your investment will be rewarded by happier, more dedicated employees who make it their job to make you and your company more successful. It's a classic win-win situation.
Happy employees are more productive employees. The power of that happiness was made clear by a Sears, Roebuck and Co. survey of 800 stores that showed when employee attitudes improved by 5 percent, customer satisfaction rose 1.3 percent and revenue grew 0.5 percent. In a tight economy, many business owners believe they don't have the means to make their employees happy because they can't increase their salaries. While all of us want and appreciate salary increases, money is not the only, or even the best, motivator. According to several studies, as long as we are paid competitively, or even close to competitively, the money issue is not the deciding factor in whether we remain at a job and how enthusiastically and competently we do that job.
According to a "National Study of the Changing Workforce" conducted by the Families and Work Institute of New York City, the factor that ranked highest for the surveyed employees when it came to choosing their jobs was "open communication." People want to know what is happening in the organizations they work for! In the same survey, salary ranked 16th. Gerald Graham, a professor of management at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, evaluated 65 potential incentives in a study of 1,500 employees. The winning incentive was "personalized, instant recognition from managers"; second was a letter of praise for good performance.
As Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a management consultant based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, put it, "Compensation is a right; recognition is a gift." And therein lies the power of recognition: Everyone loves gifts.
Cheers!
Rajeev.V
From India
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261. Personally thank an employee for a specific job well done. Specify what was good about it and why you appreciate it, which tells the employee you do pay attention. For example, say: "Thank you, Jim, for organizing that project so well. You made it very clear what should happen, when, and why."
2. Put that specific praise in a letter or thank-you note. When you take the time to write something down, you clearly value it. This makes the praise even more meaningful. When appropriate, copy the employee's manager on your praise letter. Sharing the praise with management lets the employee know you support his or her success at your company.
3. Provide as much information as possible about the company. Share as much as you can about how the company is doing, where it's making money, where it's losing money, how its products are doing in the marketplace, what new initiatives are being considered and why, and how the employee can best contribute to these efforts.
4. At every opportunity, include your employees in the decisions you make. In many cases, your employees understand a side of an issue that you may not. If you need to create a more efficient delivery system, ask your delivery men and women how they would improve the current system. If you want to improve workflow for support staff, discuss with your secretaries and clerical workers how to best keep the work flowing. Use their ideas, and give them credit for them.
5. Give employees the opportunity to learn as many new skills as they are able to. Most people like to learn, to grow, and to improve their marketability, and the more skills you enable your employees to learn, the more they will value their position with you. Cross-train whenever possible so employees know each other's jobs. An added benefit is that employees who understand the realities of one another's positions are more willing to cooperate and feel more like members of the same team.
6. Celebrate successes. Celebrate an employee's successful completion of a project, a salesperson's landing a big client, your company's improved sales figures, your organization's successful year-end. After a particularly tense week, bring donuts and coffee and gather everyone together to applaud a hard-working team. Provide balloons and noisemakers for a rousing chorus of cheers for the completion of a difficult project. Buy a plastic crown at a party store to place on the head of an employee who mastered a difficult skill or finished a course of study. Mark the successes of your staff and celebrate them. Don't be afraid to be goofy in your celebration; it's a refreshing change from hard work.
7. Provide free time and flexibility. Set aside an hour here and there for employees who have delivered an extra level of work. Make it clear that the free time is a reward for a specific accomplishment, such as finishing a challenging project or delivering month-end reports early. Alternatively, you can reward all your employees together, for example, by letting them leave an hour early to miss rush-hour traffic on a day of expected heavy traffic. Give extra time for lunch to an employee or team who has worked through lunch to deliver something to a client. Allow time off for personal or family responsibilities.
8. Admittedly, these rewards are not entirely free. They require time and energy to implement, at a minimal cost. However, your investment will be rewarded by happier, more dedicated employees who make it their job to make you and your company more successful. It's a classic win-win situation.
Happy employees are more productive employees. The power of that happiness was made clear by a Sears, Roebuck and Co. survey of 800 stores that showed when employee attitudes improved by 5 percent, customer satisfaction rose 1.3 percent and revenue grew 0.5 percent. In a tight economy, many business owners believe they don't have the means to make their employees happy because they can't increase their salaries. While all of us want and appreciate salary increases, money is not the only, or even the best, motivator. According to several studies, as long as we are paid competitively, or even close to competitively, the money issue is not the deciding factor in whether we remain at a job and how enthusiastically and competently we do that job.
According to a "National Study of the Changing Workforce" conducted by the Families and Work Institute of New York City, the factor that ranked highest for the surveyed employees when it came to choosing their jobs was "open communication." People want to know what is happening in the organizations they work for! In the same survey, salary ranked 16th. Gerald Graham, a professor of management at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, evaluated 65 potential incentives in a study of 1,500 employees. The winning incentive was "personalized, instant recognition from managers"; second was a letter of praise for good performance.
As Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a management consultant based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, put it, "Compensation is a right; recognition is a gift." And therein lies the power of recognition: Everyone loves gifts.
Cheers!
Rajeev.V
From India
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Hi Rajeev Good Article but I wonder how many companies really implement or try to implement that :wink: Regards Sujata
From India, Faridabad
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From India, Faridabad
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Does happiness depend only on organisational parameters ? Is not related to interpersonal relations? regards
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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Dear Dr. Jogeshwar,
I truly agree with your question. Even I wanted to ask this. There are so many factors for happiness; what makes me happy as an employee may not make others happy. How do we deal with that?
Cheers,
Archna
From India, Delhi
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I truly agree with your question. Even I wanted to ask this. There are so many factors for happiness; what makes me happy as an employee may not make others happy. How do we deal with that?
Cheers,
Archna
From India, Delhi
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Dear Dr. Jogeshwar,
I truly agree with your question. Even I wanted to ask this. There are so many factors for happiness; what makes me happy as an employee may not make others happy. How do we deal with that?
Cheers, Archna
Thank you, Archana ji,
Can people here post the happiness parameters they know? I am posting here 2:
1. Add a smile to your "good morning".
2. Then say - cheer up, gear up, and march ahead.
Can anyone practice just these two?
Regards,
From India, Delhi
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I truly agree with your question. Even I wanted to ask this. There are so many factors for happiness; what makes me happy as an employee may not make others happy. How do we deal with that?
Cheers, Archna
Thank you, Archana ji,
Can people here post the happiness parameters they know? I am posting here 2:
1. Add a smile to your "good morning".
2. Then say - cheer up, gear up, and march ahead.
Can anyone practice just these two?
Regards,
From India, Delhi
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Interpersonal relations are a significant source of any person's happiness, and being an employee is no different. As a manager or supervisor, you can be a strong source of your subordinates' happiness through seemingly small gestures, like a timely word of praise, a pat on the back, a word of greeting, an inquiry regarding his personal well-being, besides larger, more significant processes. It is this aspect that I have tried to bring out.
Of course, the list is not exhaustive but only indicative of the process concerned.
Rajeev.V
From India
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Of course, the list is not exhaustive but only indicative of the process concerned.
Rajeev.V
From India
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This is with regard to Dr. Jogeswar's query above...
An inquiry regarding the personal well-being of your subordinate, whether you are sincere or not, if you make it in such a manner that the employee perceives it as sincere, is adequate enough to make him happy and feel that his boss is concerned with him. The end result is that you have, through a small gesture, created a small sunshine in his personal world. That is enough.
The ways of making your subordinates happy are contextual and person-specific because what makes one person happy may not be the same for another. If you are able to use your observations and interpersonal sensitivity effectively, you can create the right combinations to keep your staff satisfied on a personal front.
I am stressing one single point - that keeping your employees happy would make them more productive. The ways to do so lie in your hands.
From India
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An inquiry regarding the personal well-being of your subordinate, whether you are sincere or not, if you make it in such a manner that the employee perceives it as sincere, is adequate enough to make him happy and feel that his boss is concerned with him. The end result is that you have, through a small gesture, created a small sunshine in his personal world. That is enough.
The ways of making your subordinates happy are contextual and person-specific because what makes one person happy may not be the same for another. If you are able to use your observations and interpersonal sensitivity effectively, you can create the right combinations to keep your staff satisfied on a personal front.
I am stressing one single point - that keeping your employees happy would make them more productive. The ways to do so lie in your hands.
From India
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Dear Rajeev ji,
I am not disputing your thesis that happy persons perform well. However, what I want to say is that happiness depends on a multitude of parameters, from social order on one extreme to endorphin generation in the body on the other. I would prefer that participants in this discussion bring their experiences and knowledge to make this thread a manual of happiness and productivity. Would you not like that?
Regards
From India, Delhi
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I am not disputing your thesis that happy persons perform well. However, what I want to say is that happiness depends on a multitude of parameters, from social order on one extreme to endorphin generation in the body on the other. I would prefer that participants in this discussion bring their experiences and knowledge to make this thread a manual of happiness and productivity. Would you not like that?
Regards
From India, Delhi
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There is no question of disagreement here. We are in the process of a meaningful discussion. We were discussing how we can touch upon the minds of our subordinates through 'positive strokes,' if I may borrow a term from TA. I understand that endorphins released into the bloodstream create what is sensed as our feeling of 'well-being.' I also understand that the release of endorphins is triggered by ordinary life situations such as laughing at a joke, meeting someone dear, reading the message of someone close, being with friends, and so on.
So we are talking about the same output, but you may perhaps be more concerned about the physiological processes involved due to the fact that you are a doctor. I was only generating a discussion as an HR professional, and hence confined my views to the managerial and organizational output, that is all.
From India
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So we are talking about the same output, but you may perhaps be more concerned about the physiological processes involved due to the fact that you are a doctor. I was only generating a discussion as an HR professional, and hence confined my views to the managerial and organizational output, that is all.
From India
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Rajeev and Jogeshwar Ji,
I agree that a happy employee means higher productivity. But there is another side of the coin too, which is 'Professional Ethics and Code of Conduct'.
To make employees happy, we as an HR team or our managers have to ensure that we are not crossing boundaries. Sometimes, getting too close to subordinates sets undue expectations and creates difficult situations. What I am talking about is the 'BALANCE'.
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I agree that a happy employee means higher productivity. But there is another side of the coin too, which is 'Professional Ethics and Code of Conduct'.
To make employees happy, we as an HR team or our managers have to ensure that we are not crossing boundaries. Sometimes, getting too close to subordinates sets undue expectations and creates difficult situations. What I am talking about is the 'BALANCE'.
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[Quote: vrajeev]
There is no question of disagreement here. We are in the process of a meaningful discussion. We were discussing how we can touch upon the minds of our subordinates through 'positive strokes,' if I may borrow a term from TA. I understand that endorphins released into the bloodstream create what is sensed as our feeling of 'well-being.' The release of endorphins is triggered by ordinary life situations such as laughing at a joke, meeting someone dear, reading the message of someone close, being with friends, and so on.
So we are talking about the same output, but you may perhaps be more concerned about the physiological processes involved due to the fact that you are a doctor. I was only generating a discussion as an HR professional, and hence confined my views to the managerial, organizational output, that is all.
Dear Rajeev,
I am happy that you at least know something about endorphins. Otherwise, here people talk of empowerment, but when I talk about constructive empowerment, they become jittery. Similarly, they talk about performance, and when I talk about peak performance, they become jittery, and so on. I find cocoonization is the very basis of discussion here.
You have missed commenting on the other extreme, that is "social order" in relation to happiness.
Regards
From India, Delhi
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There is no question of disagreement here. We are in the process of a meaningful discussion. We were discussing how we can touch upon the minds of our subordinates through 'positive strokes,' if I may borrow a term from TA. I understand that endorphins released into the bloodstream create what is sensed as our feeling of 'well-being.' The release of endorphins is triggered by ordinary life situations such as laughing at a joke, meeting someone dear, reading the message of someone close, being with friends, and so on.
So we are talking about the same output, but you may perhaps be more concerned about the physiological processes involved due to the fact that you are a doctor. I was only generating a discussion as an HR professional, and hence confined my views to the managerial, organizational output, that is all.
Dear Rajeev,
I am happy that you at least know something about endorphins. Otherwise, here people talk of empowerment, but when I talk about constructive empowerment, they become jittery. Similarly, they talk about performance, and when I talk about peak performance, they become jittery, and so on. I find cocoonization is the very basis of discussion here.
You have missed commenting on the other extreme, that is "social order" in relation to happiness.
Regards
From India, Delhi
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Thank you, Dr. Jogeswar. Social order can define certain parameters of happiness. For instance, there is no 'buddy culture' in India, unlike Western organizations where it is rampantly prevalent. The dyadic relation in India is more patronizing, feudal, and hierarchy-restricted. I'm talking about general conditions; there could be exceptions in the private sector of the industry.
Studies have revealed that the 'power-distance index (PDI)' in Indian organizations is comparatively higher compared to our Western or Japanese counterparts. There is another side to this situation. Since the supervisor is perceived at a larger level, any condescending, patronizing, sympathizing act has a greater impact. A reason why a smile or a wish from your boss in the morning can make your day.
From India
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Studies have revealed that the 'power-distance index (PDI)' in Indian organizations is comparatively higher compared to our Western or Japanese counterparts. There is another side to this situation. Since the supervisor is perceived at a larger level, any condescending, patronizing, sympathizing act has a greater impact. A reason why a smile or a wish from your boss in the morning can make your day.
From India
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Dear Rajeev,
Thank you, Dr. Jogeswar. Social order can define certain parameters of happiness. For instance, there is no 'buddy culture' in India unlike the Western organizations where it is rampantly prevalent. The dyadic relation in India is more patronizing, feudal, and hierarchy-restricted. I'm talking about general conditions; there could be exceptions in the private sector of the industry. Studies have revealed that the 'power-distance index (PDI)' in Indian organizations is comparatively higher as compared to our Western or Japanese counterparts. There is another side to this situation. Since the supervisor is perceived at a larger level, any condescending, patronizing, sympathizing act has a greater impact. A reason why a smile or a wish from your boss in the morning can make your day.
It is good that more and more things are coming up. What you are talking about is social network. A reliable and dependable social network is a great contributor to mental health and happiness. This, of course, is a micro-phenomenon. But social order is a macro-phenomenon.
Regards
From India, Delhi
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Thank you, Dr. Jogeswar. Social order can define certain parameters of happiness. For instance, there is no 'buddy culture' in India unlike the Western organizations where it is rampantly prevalent. The dyadic relation in India is more patronizing, feudal, and hierarchy-restricted. I'm talking about general conditions; there could be exceptions in the private sector of the industry. Studies have revealed that the 'power-distance index (PDI)' in Indian organizations is comparatively higher as compared to our Western or Japanese counterparts. There is another side to this situation. Since the supervisor is perceived at a larger level, any condescending, patronizing, sympathizing act has a greater impact. A reason why a smile or a wish from your boss in the morning can make your day.
It is good that more and more things are coming up. What you are talking about is social network. A reliable and dependable social network is a great contributor to mental health and happiness. This, of course, is a micro-phenomenon. But social order is a macro-phenomenon.
Regards
From India, Delhi
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Hi Rajeev,
I appreciate your effort to start such a beautiful POSITIVE topic. I agree with your comment on satisfaction. Job satisfaction is an emotional bond between an employee and the company, which allows an individual to continue with the present job. Money stands next to it.
Thanks,
Ronak
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I appreciate your effort to start such a beautiful POSITIVE topic. I agree with your comment on satisfaction. Job satisfaction is an emotional bond between an employee and the company, which allows an individual to continue with the present job. Money stands next to it.
Thanks,
Ronak
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Rajeev and Jogeshwar Ji,
It's really good. Keep posting like this.
Have you read this?
Is job happiness a myth?
Few people claim to be happy workers, or satisfied with their company or job. Sudipta Dev wonders whether job happiness is a myth.
Why do some people find their jobs gratifying while others are constantly nagged by dissatisfaction at their workplace? Since most of our waking hours are spent at work, it is imperative to find out the factors that determine job happiness. Evidently, it is all about the gap between reality and expectations, but the issue is much more complicated than it appears. While job satisfaction is found to be low wherever expectations are very high, most people also believe that they can do better in other organizations. They are haunted by the grass-is-greener syndrome and find their work a grind. The key to job happiness is finding the right equation between one's mindset and external factors. This is of particular significance for the Indian IT/ITeS industry where job-hopping is common, notwithstanding the salary hikes and a fairly evolved HR system.
How one gets along with one's boss is an essential factor for job happiness, according to a survey conducted by Accountemps, a US-based staffing service. The survey, carried across the thousand largest companies in that country, revealed that as many as 43 percent of people rated their relationship with their manager as an important determinant of job happiness. The other factors included workload and responsibilities (24 percent), compensation and/or benefits (19 percent), relationship with co-workers (6 percent), and company performance (5 percent). According to Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Motivating Employees for Dummies, employees are most productive when they feel that their contributions are valued and their feedback is welcomed by the management. A stronger relationship with the staff is essential to keep them happy.
Another survey conducted by Prof. Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick concluded that an individual's position is a major cause of job happiness. The rank of a staff member compared with others increases his/her happiness and is a pointer to pride associated with the position.
In their celebrated book The Art of Happiness at Work, His Holiness The Dalai Lama and psychiatrist Dr. Howard Cutler have stated that there are three categories of workers: those for whom the job is just a means of getting a paycheck; those who see it as an advancement or social status; and those who view it as a calling. The third category of people love their work for its own sake and are the most motivated.
Combination of factors
Most experts agree that job happiness is a culmination of both external factors and the individual's mindset. Says HR expert Ullhas Pagey, 'During the initial stages of a career, work satisfaction gets governed more by the external set of factors such as the workplace environment, benefits, facilities, opportunities to work overseas, compensation, etc., but as one moves along intrinsic factors become more important.' But he concedes that it is more contingent on one's socio-economic background and the motivation profile which varies from individual to individual.
'A person's state of mind and external factors cannot be separated. In fact, external factors affect/alter an individual's state of mind to a great extent. Companies need to monitor both and can use individual mindsets as a barometer of external factors and act accordingly,' says Ajay Oberoi, senior vice president, HR and administration, Aptech.
The pay factor
It is obvious that the pay packet is a key to job happiness, particularly in the early stages of one's career when money is the sole motivator. As one climbs the career graph, other factors start gaining equal significance.
Oberoi believes that to a large extent satisfaction/happiness is directly related to the salary. 'If we build a hierarchy of factors for employee satisfaction/happiness, in today's era of consumerism and materialism, salary will form the base of the pyramid.' He asserts that the pay packet continues to be relevant even at later stages as it is considered a yardstick of appreciation.
Employee satisfaction surveys
Is it possible for employee satisfaction surveys to accurately reflect this satisfaction level? Answers Oberoi, 'Such surveys do give trends and indications. However, for better understanding of real feelings, surveys need to be supported/followed by focused group discussions (FGD) and skip-level discussions (SLD). At Aptech, we follow the sequence of environment survey and FGD/SLD.'
What makes employee satisfaction surveys a much-awaited event is the fact that it is an opportunity for employees to air their views and grievances. The organization in turn makes these surveys a basis for chalking out plans for the betterment of its employees and its own health. The surveys have to be a top-management initiative, but it is typically the HR people who have to build the right kind of environment to conduct it.
What can HR do?
HR departments in most IT organizations are faced with similar challenges: curbing attrition, increasing employee morale and productivity, finding the right job fit, etc. All these factors are directly related to the happiness levels of employees.
'The HR department is the custodian of employee satisfaction. It conducts the satisfaction survey and communicates the results to a select/broad population of the company. In companies where HR processes are matured, the department suggests remedies for satisfaction improvement and drives various initiatives for it,' says Oberoi. He adds that real success in improving employee satisfaction will be achieved when the HR department can successfully involve middle and top management to implement employee engagement processes and build a transparent, retribution-free culture. HR managers need to be seen as role models for the values professed by the company and ensure that the leadership walks the talk.
Pagey notes that though HR can play a very important role in ensuring employee empowerment, in most organizations HR people are more occupied with carrying out routine activities than engaging themselves in value-adding activities. 'Also, mid-sized organizations have low expectations from HR, and often the CEOs themselves are not much aware of the proactive role which HR can play.'
It is a tough task for today's HR department to ensure job satisfaction among staff. Employees are not just happy with a fat paycheck, a good position, and perks; they also want a constant feeling of well-being, demand better work/life balance, and look to the organization for fulfilling even their community needs. These heightened expectations result in dissatisfaction, and finding true job happiness remains an unfulfilled dream—all the job-hopping notwithstanding.
Regards,
Arun K. Mishra
From India, Bahadurgarh
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It's really good. Keep posting like this.
Have you read this?
Is job happiness a myth?
Few people claim to be happy workers, or satisfied with their company or job. Sudipta Dev wonders whether job happiness is a myth.
Why do some people find their jobs gratifying while others are constantly nagged by dissatisfaction at their workplace? Since most of our waking hours are spent at work, it is imperative to find out the factors that determine job happiness. Evidently, it is all about the gap between reality and expectations, but the issue is much more complicated than it appears. While job satisfaction is found to be low wherever expectations are very high, most people also believe that they can do better in other organizations. They are haunted by the grass-is-greener syndrome and find their work a grind. The key to job happiness is finding the right equation between one's mindset and external factors. This is of particular significance for the Indian IT/ITeS industry where job-hopping is common, notwithstanding the salary hikes and a fairly evolved HR system.
How one gets along with one's boss is an essential factor for job happiness, according to a survey conducted by Accountemps, a US-based staffing service. The survey, carried across the thousand largest companies in that country, revealed that as many as 43 percent of people rated their relationship with their manager as an important determinant of job happiness. The other factors included workload and responsibilities (24 percent), compensation and/or benefits (19 percent), relationship with co-workers (6 percent), and company performance (5 percent). According to Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Motivating Employees for Dummies, employees are most productive when they feel that their contributions are valued and their feedback is welcomed by the management. A stronger relationship with the staff is essential to keep them happy.
Another survey conducted by Prof. Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick concluded that an individual's position is a major cause of job happiness. The rank of a staff member compared with others increases his/her happiness and is a pointer to pride associated with the position.
In their celebrated book The Art of Happiness at Work, His Holiness The Dalai Lama and psychiatrist Dr. Howard Cutler have stated that there are three categories of workers: those for whom the job is just a means of getting a paycheck; those who see it as an advancement or social status; and those who view it as a calling. The third category of people love their work for its own sake and are the most motivated.
Combination of factors
Most experts agree that job happiness is a culmination of both external factors and the individual's mindset. Says HR expert Ullhas Pagey, 'During the initial stages of a career, work satisfaction gets governed more by the external set of factors such as the workplace environment, benefits, facilities, opportunities to work overseas, compensation, etc., but as one moves along intrinsic factors become more important.' But he concedes that it is more contingent on one's socio-economic background and the motivation profile which varies from individual to individual.
'A person's state of mind and external factors cannot be separated. In fact, external factors affect/alter an individual's state of mind to a great extent. Companies need to monitor both and can use individual mindsets as a barometer of external factors and act accordingly,' says Ajay Oberoi, senior vice president, HR and administration, Aptech.
The pay factor
It is obvious that the pay packet is a key to job happiness, particularly in the early stages of one's career when money is the sole motivator. As one climbs the career graph, other factors start gaining equal significance.
Oberoi believes that to a large extent satisfaction/happiness is directly related to the salary. 'If we build a hierarchy of factors for employee satisfaction/happiness, in today's era of consumerism and materialism, salary will form the base of the pyramid.' He asserts that the pay packet continues to be relevant even at later stages as it is considered a yardstick of appreciation.
Employee satisfaction surveys
Is it possible for employee satisfaction surveys to accurately reflect this satisfaction level? Answers Oberoi, 'Such surveys do give trends and indications. However, for better understanding of real feelings, surveys need to be supported/followed by focused group discussions (FGD) and skip-level discussions (SLD). At Aptech, we follow the sequence of environment survey and FGD/SLD.'
What makes employee satisfaction surveys a much-awaited event is the fact that it is an opportunity for employees to air their views and grievances. The organization in turn makes these surveys a basis for chalking out plans for the betterment of its employees and its own health. The surveys have to be a top-management initiative, but it is typically the HR people who have to build the right kind of environment to conduct it.
What can HR do?
HR departments in most IT organizations are faced with similar challenges: curbing attrition, increasing employee morale and productivity, finding the right job fit, etc. All these factors are directly related to the happiness levels of employees.
'The HR department is the custodian of employee satisfaction. It conducts the satisfaction survey and communicates the results to a select/broad population of the company. In companies where HR processes are matured, the department suggests remedies for satisfaction improvement and drives various initiatives for it,' says Oberoi. He adds that real success in improving employee satisfaction will be achieved when the HR department can successfully involve middle and top management to implement employee engagement processes and build a transparent, retribution-free culture. HR managers need to be seen as role models for the values professed by the company and ensure that the leadership walks the talk.
Pagey notes that though HR can play a very important role in ensuring employee empowerment, in most organizations HR people are more occupied with carrying out routine activities than engaging themselves in value-adding activities. 'Also, mid-sized organizations have low expectations from HR, and often the CEOs themselves are not much aware of the proactive role which HR can play.'
It is a tough task for today's HR department to ensure job satisfaction among staff. Employees are not just happy with a fat paycheck, a good position, and perks; they also want a constant feeling of well-being, demand better work/life balance, and look to the organization for fulfilling even their community needs. These heightened expectations result in dissatisfaction, and finding true job happiness remains an unfulfilled dream—all the job-hopping notwithstanding.
Regards,
Arun K. Mishra
From India, Bahadurgarh
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AKS,
Definitely, job satisfaction is another aspect of a happy life, or rather a happy professional life. A happy professional life does not always guarantee you a happy life as a whole. When I was at TATA STEEL, J.J. Irani, the Managing Director, once said that he wants his employees to wake up in the morning feeling enthusiastic about going to work, not dreading it as "Oh! I have to go to work again today."
While conversing with one of my colleagues, I realized that Indian companies do not invest much in research and development (R&D) work. They tend to underutilize the talented workforce they have, aiming for quick and assured returns on the work performed.
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Definitely, job satisfaction is another aspect of a happy life, or rather a happy professional life. A happy professional life does not always guarantee you a happy life as a whole. When I was at TATA STEEL, J.J. Irani, the Managing Director, once said that he wants his employees to wake up in the morning feeling enthusiastic about going to work, not dreading it as "Oh! I have to go to work again today."
While conversing with one of my colleagues, I realized that Indian companies do not invest much in research and development (R&D) work. They tend to underutilize the talented workforce they have, aiming for quick and assured returns on the work performed.
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Hi Mr. Rajiv,
The information provided is good, but with the size of organizations growing to such a massive scale today, it may be very difficult to personally ensure every employee is happy, especially in the public sector. However, the concept and idea are really good and worth trying.
Thanks for sharing the article and good luck.
Regards,
amdprasad
From India, Mumbai
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The information provided is good, but with the size of organizations growing to such a massive scale today, it may be very difficult to personally ensure every employee is happy, especially in the public sector. However, the concept and idea are really good and worth trying.
Thanks for sharing the article and good luck.
Regards,
amdprasad
From India, Mumbai
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I truly agree with your opinion. But employer cant do 100 % perfectly. Because 1 happiness may unhappy others. But its true there must be a standard to make the employee happy. Anjuman
From Germany, Aachen
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From Germany, Aachen
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Thank you arun. It is really a very good article touching both external and internal factors. Being happy is a personality trait and it is in the personality dimension of Neuroticism regards
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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Hi Sunita, I like your posting. You have touched the right nerve, and the message is clear enough. Thank you Rajeev for starting this seemingly simple topic which is very relevant in today's work atmosphere which has an alienating effect. Small gestures sufficient to spread a smile here or there are certainly a great contribution. How we do it is a different issue.
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Hi friends, I have a feeling that we are straying away from the topic to ambiguous areas. I really couldn't understand the last few postings. We are discussing ways and means of maintaining a happy workforce, aren't we? If we don't have anything further to add here, let us put away the topic and close this thread.
From India
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From India
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My dear Doctor, Dont demand responses to all that you post in this forum. take care, Sunita
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Hi Sunita,
Happiness has different obstacles to overcome. The worst is the "I want to have the last word" syndrome found very commonly. Such people are always restless, intolerant of others, and create a lot of unhappiness for oneself as well as for others. Then there is the "I know it all" syndrome which creates yet another dimension of unhappiness for the owner. The worst part is when one is not aware of these syndromes dominating one's mind. There is an interesting article by Frank Desmond titled "Physician, heal thyself" in which he reveals several case studies of the narko-parko syndrome mentioned above. Happiness is sometimes one-sided, sometimes it is multifaceted.
"Happiness is not a destination, but a journey."
Regards,
SJ
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Happiness has different obstacles to overcome. The worst is the "I want to have the last word" syndrome found very commonly. Such people are always restless, intolerant of others, and create a lot of unhappiness for oneself as well as for others. Then there is the "I know it all" syndrome which creates yet another dimension of unhappiness for the owner. The worst part is when one is not aware of these syndromes dominating one's mind. There is an interesting article by Frank Desmond titled "Physician, heal thyself" in which he reveals several case studies of the narko-parko syndrome mentioned above. Happiness is sometimes one-sided, sometimes it is multifaceted.
"Happiness is not a destination, but a journey."
Regards,
SJ
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Hello Rajeev,
That was a very relevant topic you started with. I have numerous case experiences on persons getting acutely depressed and alienated in their workplace due to several reasons. It would be helpful if all of you professionals in the field gave serious thought to this issue. The topic, due to some unfortunate diversions, has gone astray. (I find that some are more intent on making their presence felt rather than contributing to a meaningful discussion).
More than the issue of making a person happy, the practical version could be how to prevent your employees from being unhappy. This, by itself, could improve the organizational climate significantly. The HR sector has a lot to contribute to society at large - the happiness or unhappiness of an employee is carried over to his domestic and social circles, creating a rippling effect with the organization in the center.
Best wishes,
Souparnika
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That was a very relevant topic you started with. I have numerous case experiences on persons getting acutely depressed and alienated in their workplace due to several reasons. It would be helpful if all of you professionals in the field gave serious thought to this issue. The topic, due to some unfortunate diversions, has gone astray. (I find that some are more intent on making their presence felt rather than contributing to a meaningful discussion).
More than the issue of making a person happy, the practical version could be how to prevent your employees from being unhappy. This, by itself, could improve the organizational climate significantly. The HR sector has a lot to contribute to society at large - the happiness or unhappiness of an employee is carried over to his domestic and social circles, creating a rippling effect with the organization in the center.
Best wishes,
Souparnika
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Improving Employee Performance Through Workplace Coaching.pdf
Employee Satisfaction Survey[1].doc