What Makes Employees Happy at Work? Top 5 Things To Know

While there are benefits that make employees happy at their workplaces, many business managers still ask themselves, what makes employees happy at work?

If you’re a manager or a business owner leading a group of employees who appear demotivated, you’ve stumbled on the right blog post.  

In this post, you’ll learn you can boost your company’s overall performance and retain quality workers in your organization. By gaining a practical grasp of the top things that make employees happy at work.

Sadly, some of them are what many managers know in their heads but find difficult to implement in their managerial roles. 

Read on!

What Makes Employees Happy at Work?

Employees want to feel appreciated by their boss and coworkers when they go to work.

For example, if your boss tells you you did a good job or gives you a prize, you’ll feel happy. Right?

While positive appraisal from superiors is good, it’s also crucial for you to have friends at work who make you feel you’re part of a team. Also, when you work on things that matter to you while you help other people, you’ll feel good about your job. 

Another thing that makes employees happy at work is the autonomy to do their jobs. That’s because no one likes being micromanaged. 

And you’ll agree that having some control over what you do at work is okay. That is because it allows you to choose which projects you want to work (on). 

But imagine a job that doesn’t give you time for things you like to do outside of work. Things like playing with friends, spending time with family, or going on vacation. 

Top 5 things that Make Employees Happy

According to a study carried out by Statista, 14000 respondents believe the following organizational attributes consist of the most important for employers to engage employees: 

• work-life balance
• career advancement
• employer ethics and values
• compensation and benefits
• continuous learning opportunities
• organizational stability

But below are 5 tops things employers who’re searching for how to make employees happy can do: 

1. A Positive Work Environment 

One of the benefits employees enjoy from being in a good working environment is the feeling of belongingness (to their team). Not only that, they become more comfortable in their roles. 

That’s because the communication structure is well established in a way that bosses and coworkers communicate so effectively. 

So in this kind of work environment, you’re motivated to perform at your job. Because you’re sure that your boss will recognize and praise your hard work. And in turn, that promotes teamwork and a positive attitude among colleagues. 

2. Work-Life Balance

No doubt some jobs offer work-life balance more than others. But a good work-life balance is critical for employee happiness. That’s because it allows them to enjoy their lives outside of work too. 

With flexible work hours, you can work at your convenience and more productively. That way, you can spend time with your family or do things you like outside of work.

No wonder many job-seekers are opting for remote work options. Because they believe it lets them work from home or other places, which saves time and money on commuting. 

But not only that. Most remote jobs afford you enough vacation time to take a break and recharge your batteries, which helps you be more productive and happy when you return to work. 

With that said, do you feel when employers give their employees these kinds of benefits, they won’t be happier and more satisfied with their jobs?

3. Opportunities for Growth and Development

One thing employers should quickly recognize to build a team of happy employees is that they love to grow. I mean, what worker wouldn’t want to keep learning and improving so they can be better at their jobs? 

So, employers can help by giving them chances to learn new skills, take classes or training, and work with people who can teach them. 

Because when employees feel like they are growing and getting better, it makes them feel proud and happy about their work. And that can positively impact their work performance and, of course, the company’s bottom line. 

4. Fair Compensation and Benefits

As an employee, when you work hard, you want your input to be appreciated. And a way employers can do this is by paying you (and every other employee) a fair salary. In other words, you get paid befitting money for your work. 

But beyond this, employers can also offer benefits packages, including extra things like health insurance, vacation time, and retirement plans.

And consequently, all these make employees feel like they are being treated fairly and getting paid well. And they make them feel good about their job and want to keep working hard.

5. Adequate Recognition and Appreciation 

Again, when you work hard, it feels great when someone notices and tells you, “good job!” 

Through the simple act of saying thank you and dishing out compliments, employers can make their employees feel good. As an employer, you may organize special events or parties to show much you appreciate your employees. 

While events like that can be fun, they can help everyone feel a great sense of belonging. Meanwhile, employees can introduce the giving of special awards to employees to spur them to do more in the future.   

Benefits of Happy Employees

Employers must know that employee happiness in the workplace can benefit everyone in many ways. 

First, happy employees are more likely to stay in their job. And that means as an employer, you don’t have to spend time and money looking for new people to hire. 

Again, happy employees are also more productive. And the implication is they get more work done and can help achieve more success for the company. 

Also, happy workers are more likely to work well with others. And that means they can help create a positive and supportive workplace culture. 

Finally, happy employees can be great ambassadors for a company, sharing their positive experiences with others and attracting more business. 

Final Thought on What makes employees happy at work

You might have heard the phrases “happy employees, happy company.” While it’s a bit popular in the corporate world, it’s true. Because study upon study has shown a close relationship between employees’ motivation to work and their mental state. 

So naturally, you wouldn’t expect an employee who’s depressed or sad to come to work with his best self. Let alone delivering top-notch performance in his job post.

But by learning the top 5 things that make employees happy, as a manager, you can get workers under you happy, motivated, productive, and satisfied. That way, you can prioritize employee happiness in the workplace.