According, to research we are more productive when happy. In fact, research by University of Oxford shows that workers are 13% more productive when happy.

In recent years, an increasingly strong emphasis has been placed upon the contentment of a company’s workforce. Not only does the happiness of a workforce make for a pleasant work environment, but it will also inevitably lead to high quality work being produced.

Why is it important to have happy workers?

  • Psychologically safe environments foster creativity and will enable individuals to take risks.
  • Having positive relationships with colleagues will encourage collaboration.
  • We are more productive when happy. Research, by University of Oxford, reveals that happy workers are 13% more productive than unhappy ones.
  • It will help you retain your employees. People are more likely to stay in a company if they are happy there. Moreover, replacing employees is hugely costly and time consuming for businesses.

When it comes to actively boosting the happiness of a workforce, rather than just sustaining a general contentment, companies are beginning to stretch beyond the norms of a workplace to make their teams happy. There are a number of measures that a company can take to ensure the contentment of its staff. These include the following:

  • Give respect and consideration to all ideas put forward in the workplace. This will help reaffirm a sense of value and importance to the wider cause that will serve to both validate and motivate each employees continued efforts.
  • As a leader of a company, it also falls upon your head to create the right atmosphere for working. Whilst each office is different in the work it produces and the manner in which it goes about this, no employee wants to work in an environment that they perceive to be unfriendly, tense or unfairly scrutinised.
  • Appoint a ‘happiness officer,’ ‘wellness officer,’ ‘head of satisfaction,’ whatever name you choose to give it, this is a role within the company that is specifically targeted at monitoring the happiness of staff and providing direct support to anyone that needs it.
  • Determine own in-house rituals that help to foster a positive atmosphere within the workplace. For example, try planning the occasional team lunch or away-day, a team building activity.
  • Encourage employees to bring pets into the office, as this will hopefully boost the mood and decrease stress levels. We found we were more happy when we appointed our Chief Dog – Tilly within the office.