Employee Misery or Happiness? Making Work Matter

Every day across industries, many employees dread working, struggle to find motivation, and wonder if their contributions matter. The factors that cause job misery include irrelevance, anonymity, and the lack of feedback regarding success or failure (also called immeasurement).¹ In contrast to misery, employees who report high happiness levels are at least 12% more productive and outperform the competition by 20%.² Google experimented with increasing employee happiness and found a 37% increase in happiness resulted in faster and more effective work productivity.³ 

As you consider the place you work and the virtue of happiness, who stands out in your mind? That upbeat co-worker? An executive who reminds you how your work matters? Maybe you’re reminded of the co-worker who speaks positively about others or your manager who cares about your wellbeing. Whether we work remotely, in a hybrid environment, or entirely in-person, we long to feel known, valued, included, and competent.

The authenticity, calm, and warmth radiating from a happy employee are contagious because work can feel less like an obligation and more like a fun adventure. While most of us strive to become better humans day in and day out, it takes an intentional person and a unique organizational environment to cultivate contagious joy for others.

How to Increase Employee Happiness

What do we know about the aspects of an organization that contribute to high levels of happiness?

• Employee engagement is an indicator of a thriving company. Companies that successfully engage employees see more happiness, wellness, retention, significant profits, and lower costs supported by salespeople closing 37% more sales.⁴
• Company culture directs and defines a company’s environment and impacts purchasing decisions as 66% of consumers considering factors like company culture and employee welfare when choosing between brands.⁵ Culture includes what the company stands for, how it treats others and its impact on the world.⁶ Healthy company cultures promote trust resulting in psychological safety and teams who innovate.⁷
• Emotional Intelligence. For managers and executives to increase employee happiness, they need to address barriers to performance, give positive and constructive feedback, and help employees create clear and measurable goals. They also need to acknowledge their shortcomings, convey empathy, and show genuine value in their employees.⁸
• Authentic Friendships. As colleagues collaborate through meetings, hallway discussions, and virtual chat conversations, they form connections and interest in learning about one another. Shared hobbies and knowing one another’s favorite charitable causes strengthen these workplace social connections and create intersections for acceptance, shared synergy, and cause-oriented passion. Employees who have friends at work are happier, report a 50% boost in satisfaction, and those with a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged.⁹
• Global Impact. Charitable giving fits right in with company culture and motivates employees through generosity and meaning.¹⁰ As they create a positive impact worldwide through donations to nonprofits, employees feel greater fulfillment and meaning, which leads to more productivity.
  • Employer Tip: Make it easy for employees to donate to charitable organizations by funding their GVNG Wallet. Provide team members with $10 to give to an organization of their choice and remind them of their work’s broader impact on the world. In addition, employees can give to other employees through optional peer-to-peer transactions.

Communicating Employee Value and Global Impact

As leaders get creative at addressing job misery, they can leverage the impact of workplace giving and personal generosity to appreciate, validate, and encourage team members. As leaders show employees that their work matters, positive emotions, and experiences increase, reflecting positively on the company brand. Happiness is a function of knowing your employees, connecting everyday tasks to the company mission, consistently expressing value, and providing helpful feedback. When you empower your workforce through the GVNG Wallet, you communicate value, show relevance, and build trust.

1. Lencioni, P.M. (2015). The truth about employee engagement: A fable about addressing the three root causes of job misery. Jossey Bass. https://www.tablegroup.com/product/engagement/
2. Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and productivity: Understanding the happy-productive worker. Social Market Foundation (SMF) & Warwick’s Centre on Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE). http://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Social-Market-Foundation-Publication-Briefing-CAGE-4-Are-happy-workers-more-productive-281015.pdf#page=9
3. Leveling Up. The statistical case for company culture [infographic]. Leveling Up & Single Grain. https://www.levelingup.com/management/statistical-case-company-culture/
4. (2019). Happier employees=greater success. Canadian HRReporter. https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/wellness-mental-health/happier-employees-greater-success/304956#
5. Edelman, R. (2020, March 30). Trust barometer special report: Brand trust and the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.edelman.com/research/covid-19-brand-trust-report
6. Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and productivity: Understanding the happy-productive worker. Social Market Foundation (SMF) & Warwick’s Centre on Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE). http://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Social-Market-Foundation-Publication-Briefing-CAGE-4-Are-happy-workers-more-productive-281015.pdf#page=9
7. Edmondson, A.C. (2018). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth.
8. H.L. (2010). The stress effect: Why smart leaders make dumb decisions – and what to do about it. Jossey-Bass.
9. Riordan, C.M. (2013, July 3). We all need friends at work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2013/07/we-all-need-friends-at-work
10. Mittal, P. (2020, September 30). Happy employees create happy customers. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/356865