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In honour of Happiness at Work Week which starts next week on the 25th September, we at Thrive thought it would be an excellent time to round up a list of small changes that can have a big impact on your workplace and the happiness of your employees.
As we’re in the business of professional development, we’re always interested in ways that companies can improve, learn and grow - whether it’s through learning and development efforts, or your people’s wellbeing.
According to a 2022 report conducted by the ADP Research Institute, seven in ten surveyed UK workers (70%) have thought about leaving their job in the 12 months prior. With threats of The Great Resignation ringing in our ears, that’s a scary statistic - so how can employers retain talent, and most importantly, make sure their workforce is happy?
Read on to find out our tips for a happier workplace, during Happiness at Work Week and beyond.
Flexibility is one of the key factors when it comes to happiness in the workplace.
Going back to the ADP Report, 71% of British workers reported that they would consider looking for a different job if their current employer insisted on a fully in-office role - and 41% even said they would consider a pay cut in favour of location flexibility. We’re of course not suggesting that the two are mutually exclusive (as you’ll learn from our upcoming tip on fair compensation!) but it just goes to show how much value is truly placed on flexibility.
If you’re able to offer flexible and remote working, this will go a long way towards creating a happier workplace overall.
Given how easily achievable this tip is, you’d be surprised how infrequently it’s practised.
Of course if someone is lacking in certain areas, it’s important to address it and help them improve. But it goes both ways: if they’re doing well, it’s equally as important to acknowledge and celebrate that. Not only will this make them feel appreciated, but it will motivate them to continue.
75% of employees agree that feedback is valuable and has an impact on their performance, but only 30% actually receive any feedback on their work. There’s a clear disparity there, and it’s easy to see how it can be fixed. Foster an environment where communication and feedback flows freely between you and your people. While you reward them for their efforts and offer advice on areas for improvement, they should feel that they can do the same for you.
Make sure you’re staying abreast of the ways in which you can improve as an employer - and trust your people to keep you informed.
Move past corporate lip service and show that you genuinely care about your employees’ happiness with health and wellbeing programs.
It’s very important that we highlight the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ wellbeing programs. While some are genuinely beneficial, others may be doing more harm than good. If you’re thinking that a company-wide weight loss initiative would be a great way to promote a healthy lifestyle, you wouldn’t be the first and you won’t be the last.
Unfortunately there’s a lot of misinformation floating around about weight, diet and health (and that’s a whole separate article) but try to keep this out of the workplace. Always make sure that you’re approaching these programs from a holistic and inclusive perspective, rather than a rigid ‘one-size fits all’ approach. What is going to be genuinely beneficial, not just project the outward appearance of society’s very narrow definition of ‘healthy’?
A great place to start is by involving your employees. Ask them what they’d like to see from a health and wellbeing program, and then go from there. Ultimately, these programs should create a supportive environment for everyone - rather than a sense of exclusivity, stress and resentment.
“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
How many times have you heard this phrase in your professional life?
There’s a misconception that in order to appear professional, you have to adhere to a very specific, rigid dress code put in place back in the 20th century when societal expectations were … somewhat different than they are now.
We’ve left a fair few things in the 20th century (typewriters, rotary phones, anti-suffrage) so why do we feel like we have to continue to dress like Don Draper? We carry tiny, square computers in our pockets - so let’s do away with pocket squares.
Something as simple as allowing your team to wear casual clothes to work can make a huge difference, and it’s been proven that when people feel comfortable and at ease, they’re happier and therefore more productive. This sense of comfort should extend out to the office itself - so make sure it’s comfortable, with ergonomic chairs, break rooms, and lighting that isn’t migraine-inducing.
Of course as an all-in-one LMS, we’re going to champion Learning and Development within this blog about how to be happy at work - because we genuinely believe that L&D can help to make a positive difference, both in people’s personal and professional lives.
Investing in your people’s professional development is a win-win: as they expand their skill set they’ll feel nurtured and valued, and as you help them do that, you’ll notice the positive impacts on your business.
Create a culture of continuous learning, by offering opportunities for courses and skills relevant to the role. Take advantage of different awareness days to run campaign-led learning for your employees, and facilitate continuous upskilling so they can continue to improve and grow. Is there a course or conference your employee wants to take outside of work? Encourage them to do so, knowing that it benefits both of you.
(Psst - if you’re looking for a Learning Platform to assist you with your L&D efforts, Thrive is the all-in-one LMS that makes it easy to onboard, train and upskill your workforce from one central platform.)
Factor inclusivity into your workplace - all the way from your hiring practices, through to the way you treat employees who already work for you. A culture of inclusivity should ideally be an invisible, benevolent force that permeates everything you do without needing to shout about it. It’s something that people feel when they come in to work, that is underpinned by concrete practices and policies.
As with our point about health and wellbeing, it’s important that this goes beyond performative lip service. As Catalyst recently found, ‘Words aren’t enough.’ Talking the talk isn’t going to get you anywhere; you need to make sure that you’re walking the walk and following through on the promises you set.
Obviously, money isn’t everything, and acknowledgement goes beyond a paycheck - but shouldn’t people be fairly compensated for their work? Stay up-to-date with the costs of living and industry average for the positions within your company. Beyond doing your own research, create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their pay, and are rewarded for the measurable results that they produce.
Thanks for reading Thrive’s guide to creating a happier workplace. You can read more about the Happiness at Work Initiative here, and if you’re looking to improve your employees’ wellbeing through learning and development, Thrive could be the answer. Why not book a demo to see if it could work for you, or even explore Thrive Content for off-the-shelf resources on health, happiness and wellbeing?
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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In honour of Happiness at Work Week which starts next week on the 25th September, we at Thrive thought it would be an excellent time to round up a list of small changes that can have a big impact on your workplace and the happiness of your employees.
As we’re in the business of professional development, we’re always interested in ways that companies can improve, learn and grow - whether it’s through learning and development efforts, or your people’s wellbeing.
According to a 2022 report conducted by the ADP Research Institute, seven in ten surveyed UK workers (70%) have thought about leaving their job in the 12 months prior. With threats of The Great Resignation ringing in our ears, that’s a scary statistic - so how can employers retain talent, and most importantly, make sure their workforce is happy?
Read on to find out our tips for a happier workplace, during Happiness at Work Week and beyond.
Flexibility is one of the key factors when it comes to happiness in the workplace.
Going back to the ADP Report, 71% of British workers reported that they would consider looking for a different job if their current employer insisted on a fully in-office role - and 41% even said they would consider a pay cut in favour of location flexibility. We’re of course not suggesting that the two are mutually exclusive (as you’ll learn from our upcoming tip on fair compensation!) but it just goes to show how much value is truly placed on flexibility.
If you’re able to offer flexible and remote working, this will go a long way towards creating a happier workplace overall.
Given how easily achievable this tip is, you’d be surprised how infrequently it’s practised.
Of course if someone is lacking in certain areas, it’s important to address it and help them improve. But it goes both ways: if they’re doing well, it’s equally as important to acknowledge and celebrate that. Not only will this make them feel appreciated, but it will motivate them to continue.
75% of employees agree that feedback is valuable and has an impact on their performance, but only 30% actually receive any feedback on their work. There’s a clear disparity there, and it’s easy to see how it can be fixed. Foster an environment where communication and feedback flows freely between you and your people. While you reward them for their efforts and offer advice on areas for improvement, they should feel that they can do the same for you.
Make sure you’re staying abreast of the ways in which you can improve as an employer - and trust your people to keep you informed.
Move past corporate lip service and show that you genuinely care about your employees’ happiness with health and wellbeing programs.
It’s very important that we highlight the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ wellbeing programs. While some are genuinely beneficial, others may be doing more harm than good. If you’re thinking that a company-wide weight loss initiative would be a great way to promote a healthy lifestyle, you wouldn’t be the first and you won’t be the last.
Unfortunately there’s a lot of misinformation floating around about weight, diet and health (and that’s a whole separate article) but try to keep this out of the workplace. Always make sure that you’re approaching these programs from a holistic and inclusive perspective, rather than a rigid ‘one-size fits all’ approach. What is going to be genuinely beneficial, not just project the outward appearance of society’s very narrow definition of ‘healthy’?
A great place to start is by involving your employees. Ask them what they’d like to see from a health and wellbeing program, and then go from there. Ultimately, these programs should create a supportive environment for everyone - rather than a sense of exclusivity, stress and resentment.
“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
How many times have you heard this phrase in your professional life?
There’s a misconception that in order to appear professional, you have to adhere to a very specific, rigid dress code put in place back in the 20th century when societal expectations were … somewhat different than they are now.
We’ve left a fair few things in the 20th century (typewriters, rotary phones, anti-suffrage) so why do we feel like we have to continue to dress like Don Draper? We carry tiny, square computers in our pockets - so let’s do away with pocket squares.
Something as simple as allowing your team to wear casual clothes to work can make a huge difference, and it’s been proven that when people feel comfortable and at ease, they’re happier and therefore more productive. This sense of comfort should extend out to the office itself - so make sure it’s comfortable, with ergonomic chairs, break rooms, and lighting that isn’t migraine-inducing.
Of course as an all-in-one LMS, we’re going to champion Learning and Development within this blog about how to be happy at work - because we genuinely believe that L&D can help to make a positive difference, both in people’s personal and professional lives.
Investing in your people’s professional development is a win-win: as they expand their skill set they’ll feel nurtured and valued, and as you help them do that, you’ll notice the positive impacts on your business.
Create a culture of continuous learning, by offering opportunities for courses and skills relevant to the role. Take advantage of different awareness days to run campaign-led learning for your employees, and facilitate continuous upskilling so they can continue to improve and grow. Is there a course or conference your employee wants to take outside of work? Encourage them to do so, knowing that it benefits both of you.
(Psst - if you’re looking for a Learning Platform to assist you with your L&D efforts, Thrive is the all-in-one LMS that makes it easy to onboard, train and upskill your workforce from one central platform.)
Factor inclusivity into your workplace - all the way from your hiring practices, through to the way you treat employees who already work for you. A culture of inclusivity should ideally be an invisible, benevolent force that permeates everything you do without needing to shout about it. It’s something that people feel when they come in to work, that is underpinned by concrete practices and policies.
As with our point about health and wellbeing, it’s important that this goes beyond performative lip service. As Catalyst recently found, ‘Words aren’t enough.’ Talking the talk isn’t going to get you anywhere; you need to make sure that you’re walking the walk and following through on the promises you set.
Obviously, money isn’t everything, and acknowledgement goes beyond a paycheck - but shouldn’t people be fairly compensated for their work? Stay up-to-date with the costs of living and industry average for the positions within your company. Beyond doing your own research, create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their pay, and are rewarded for the measurable results that they produce.
Thanks for reading Thrive’s guide to creating a happier workplace. You can read more about the Happiness at Work Initiative here, and if you’re looking to improve your employees’ wellbeing through learning and development, Thrive could be the answer. Why not book a demo to see if it could work for you, or even explore Thrive Content for off-the-shelf resources on health, happiness and wellbeing?
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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