Good news: your recent survey shows that your employees are satisfied. After all your efforts in improving their working conditions, you’ve finally got solid results. But despite this, you still struggle with performance and motivation. Why? This is because a satisfied employee doesn’t equal a motivated employee. There are a lot of cases where an employee may be satisfied with their job, but that’s all they are. They have a salary and benefits, and they could do their responsibilities. But are they happy? Do they feel joy with their work? Online employment portal Jobstreet.com’s 2017 Happiness Index Report found out that there are less happy Filipino employees versus their 2016 report. Your employees may be part of this statistic. But while it’s important to pursue your employees’ happiness, there’s another related aspect that you should make a priority: joy at work.
Why You Should Make Joy at Work a Priority
What’s the difference between joy and happiness? While they’re both wonderful feelings to experience and are related, they’re also different. According to Psychologies, “Joy is more consistent and is cultivated internally. It comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are and how you are, whereas happiness tends to be externally triggered and is based on other people, things, places, thoughts, and events.”
It’s impossible for your employees to feel happy all the time. Especially since happiness is more tied to external factors. This is where joy comes in and it can be a part of the solution. Why? First of all, people intrinsically seek joy. And, second, joy makes powerful connections with people. Joy stems from the accomplishment of worthy external goals. And with this joy, your employees will achieve more. Employees who feel joy for their work are more engaged and will do more for your company.
How Do You Create Joy at Work?
Make work more meaningful
One of the factors why employees feel joy at work is because they find their work meaningful. This happens when they know their and others’ roles in the company and how it contributes to the achievement of business goals. And at the same time, they also feel that whatever their role is, it’s critical to the team’s success. They feel that whatever their doing is more than just for the paycheck. You could do this by fostering better relationships in the workplace and allowing your goals and objectives to resonate with them.
Show appreciation for your employees
Acknowledgment is essential in creating joy in the workplace. Your employees want to be appreciated. While your team members would certainly want tangible rewards such as bonuses, it doesn’t always have to be that way. Sometimes, a simple “thank you” and “job well done” is enough to lift your employees’ spirits, especially after an excruciating project. Here are some creative ways to show your appreciation and reward your employees!
Incorporate it in your culture
Organizational culture consists of shared beliefs and values that resonate among the members of your company. That’s why it’s important to incorporate joy into it. And this doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of patience and commitment to achieving your goals. You can lead the transformation by example, just like how better work-life balance starts with managers. It’s also important to effectively manage negative influences, such as conflict.
Your employees are human. They have emotions that influence their work. Making positive emotions, such as joy, a priority in your organization will not only help your employees with their work, but also will reflect in your bottom line with better employee performance, engagement, and retention.
