Encouraging workplace happiness

On March 19th it was International World Happiness Day – a day that is created by the United Nations to stimulate more awareness about being happy. In today’s society, big problems like poverty and low life expectancy are more or less solved in the Western World, therefore we can shift focus to other topics that need attention. With life expectancy going up, the age of no retirement has embarked upon us. People work longer and therefore have different expectations of what their work life should be.  They focus more on having a healthy work-life balance but also on being happy. Not just happy in their personal life but also happy at work. Happy at work seems like a millennial-thing, and it is in fact the case – but it’s beneficial for all generations who form today’s workforce.

Keeping the workforce happy

Companies who rely a lot on the millennial generation as their workforce, must understand this way of thinking. A mindset that means a healthy work-life balance, being happy at work and getting fulfillment from it. This generation doesn’t want to work for just the biggest paycheck or the most prestige, they want to feel valued and fulfilled. And there are companies who understand this and have created a special position – the Chief Happiness Officer(CHO). This ‘modern’ job has a sole task to check that the workforce is happy. And happiness comes in different shapes and forms for many. Examples like casual Fridays are not new, and the CHO usually takes it up a notch. With champagne-popping contests, movie nights, pub quizzes and much more, they know how to make the people enjoy themselves. And it’s not only about creating team spirit, it’s also about making people feel appreciated by little acts of kindness.

The Chief Happiness Officer – a fad or the future?

Is this need for someone who makes sure that people are happy at work, really necessary? Of course, having a positive work culture is great for employee satisfaction. Finding a company with a company culture that is the right fit is not always easy. Having someone in your company that is fully dedicated to keep everyone happy is a modernity that is actually quite cool. The role of HR is different, they are there to ensure that de admin side of personnel is fixed and that all the tools and assets are in place for people to do their work. So these roles can work side by side and can actually be the perfect match for your internal retention.

Spaces also likes to think of our community manager as Chief Happiness Officers – who know your name, organise informal gatherings, are available for a chit-chat and also use little acts of kindness to show appreciation for our members.