Three Tips for a Happier Workplace

For better results, prioritize employee well-being.

Workplaces filled with happy employees experience better performance.

So says Raj Raghunathan, a Texas McCombs marketing professor, and expert on the subject of happiness. He is author of the book “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?” and also teaches courses at the Indian School of Business and online classes.

In collecting data for a corporate client, Raghunathan identified specific benefits from having happy workers. “It’s good for the organization to have happy employees because they have higher levels of satisfaction, morale, and engagement, as well as higher productivity,” he says.

To begin reaping the benefits of employee happiness at your company, Raghunathan offers the following advice.

1. Prioritize employee well-being.

Companies need to let employees know they are viewed as complete human beings with hopes and dreams, not just cogs in a corporate machine. “As an employee, knowing that my organization cares for my happiness, well-being, and mental health, I am going to feel good about working for that organization,” says Raghunathan.

2. Begin with the basics, and aim for abundance.

Raghunathan created an acronym — BAMBA — for the determinants of happiness at work and beyond:

Basic human needs, such as adequate levels of income, physical safety, and comfort, are satisfied.

Autonomy offers us the freedom to act without being micromanaged or penalized for voicing opinions.

Mastery in a selected area becomes a real possibility as we experience progress and growth in skills or values, while managers prioritize workplace responsibilities employees love — rather than loathe — doing. Year-end appraisals should also assess growth and learning in domains relevant to employees.

Belonging provides a sense of healthy connection to coworkers and the larger organization, such as allowing employees to personalize their workspace.

Abundance culture is established, where one worker’s “win” doesn’t mean a loss for someone else (for example, no “employee of the month” winners and losers).

Raghunathan admits the final step is the most challenging for employers.

“The abundance culture is the hardest nut to crack, at some level, because it calls for a change from the inside out,” he says. But companies should at least try to ensure positive, equal treatment for all workers, regardless of their place in the company hierarchy. “Abundance-oriented organizations also tend to be more long-term-oriented and prioritize happiness and well-being over profits.”

3. Emphasize fairness and transparency.

These qualities fulfill a basic need for workers, even if they don’t put food on a person’s table, Raghunathan says. What can companies do? Don’t keep the bulk of information private. Workers must know they can walk into a higher-up’s office and get their question answered directly. He’s found that increased transparency means more trust in the workplace. “There’s also a greater sense of accountability because you’re able to find out what happened,” he says.

Beyond this core advice, happiness often begins at the top.

“If you have a leader who really cares for the well being of employees, they instinctively know what’s good and put these things in place,” he says.

Story by Jeremy M. Simon