In a recently released whitepaper, Les Kertay, Ph.D., chief medical officer in the Group Protection area of Lincoln Financial Group, discusses components of happiness and the links between employee happiness, productivity, and employee success.
Happiness and the Bottom Line: The Happy Worker Prescription draws from research, demonstrating a direct connection between employees’ wellbeing and their performance at work. Well-being — or happiness — is more than just feeling good. It includes engagement, a sense of meaning, and positive relationships, according to the whitepaper.
Kertay offers his “Happy Worker Prescription” — 10 tips to help employers create a positive workplace culture, including:
1. Make sure managers understand that employee happiness impacts productivity.
2. Hire happy people.
3. Invest in managers’ emotional intelligence.
4. Provide recognition in the way the employee values most.
5. Provide opportunities to socialize, and encourage it.
6. Provide benefits that are important to your employees and enhance their financial security.
7. If there are issues with performance, address them directly, starting with the positive.
8. If an individual or the team is showing signs of stress, listen without judgment.
9. If you have done something wrong, apologize.
10. Express interest in staff well being, including when an including when an employee is out of work.
“Only one in five Americans say they feel happy at work,” says Eric Reisenwitz, senior vice president of Group Protection Market Solutions at Lincoln Financial. “Many people don’t realize that dissatisfaction is so widespread, or that it’s a detriment to business. When employees are happy at work, they work smarter and harder. Companies that put employee happiness first see increased engagement, improved productivity, higher profits, and an enhanced competitive advantage.”
