It is the start of the year, and that always marks the annual Job Exodus research by Investors in People. This year, in an age of rising workplace stress and anxiety and job uncertainty, 1 in 3 workers report being unhappy at work.
So as we start the new year full of resolutions, to eat better, drink less, earn more money, or buy a bigger house – in the words of Marie Kondo – will it make you happy? Why don’t we focus on the simple resolution to be happier?
According to the Investors in People research 1 in 5 people cited workplace stress as the worst thing about their job, and stress is one of the top 3 reasons why over 45% of workers are looking to move jobs in 2019. But the key to retaining talent and experience is not simply just about reducing stress, it lies in increasing employees overall happiness. Empirical analysis and experience have shown that increasing happiness has anything from a 12% to 14% effect on productivity.
So how can we make our workforce happier?
Interestingly simply paying your people more isn’t necessarily the best way to keep employees.
Whilst an increase will help temporarily boost moods, it is making your employees feel valued long-term that will bring about happiness. In fact workers stay in jobs where there is a good work-life balance (37%) and a good team (34%).
So how can we make our employees feel valued?
The core components required to create a culture of wellbeing and happiness make up our 7 Es framework. They are:
1. Engage
2. Exemplify
3. Empower
4. Encourage
5. Empathise
6. Embed
7. Evaluate
In order to maintain a happy and healthy workforce, we suggest implementing systems, training, processes and procedures that incorporate these. If you would like to speak about how you embed the 7 Es framework in your organisation, contact us to find out more.
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