According to a new piece of research by HR consultancy Chimento, happiness is the new weapon in the drive to recruit and retain the best and brightest new workers. Called the Happiness at Work Index, the research reveals the top ten things that make us happy at work are:
- Friendly, supportive colleagues
- Enjoyable work
- Good boss or manager
- Good work/life balance
- Varied work
- Doing something worthwhile
- Making a difference
- Being part of a successful team
- Achievements recognised
- Competitive salary
The above probably make quite a bit of sense (and are possibly not all that new) to most of us although no doubt there are more than a few who happily turn up for work just for the money. What's interesting to me as a communicator is how much time is spent focusing on communicating on these issues and helping create the type of culture it seems that more than a few people want to be part of.
If more and more companies followed the likes of Innocent, Orange and Google who are aiming to attract and retain staff based on offering a warmer, friendler and more personal work experience then it requires communicators to adopt a new approach. Less corporate speak and more of a human touch. Results will always be the number one focus for any organisation and if, at research suggests, those results are easier to achieve if people are happy at work then it signals a very different employer-employee relationship based on far more of a win:win philosophy. While few companies will go as far as Howie's in offering a 'too nice to be here day" it does suggest there is lots of creative scope for communicators and HR to work together to make work more fun and rewarding while also keeping everyone focused on the targets to be met.
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