We can’t say it often enough: people who are happy at work are more productive, more creative, more innovative, more mentally flexible, and less likely to need time off.
But which factors are crucial for your employees’ happiness at work? Just remember the PERK model developed by the University of California, Berkeley. PERK is an acronym for four pillars:
1. Purpose
2. Engagement
3. Resilience
4. Kindness
Purpose
Morten Hansen, a management professor at the UC Berkeley defines purpose in his book Great at Work as follows: ‘when you make valuable contributions to others (individuals and organisations) or to society that you find personally meaningful and that don’t harm anyone.’
‘Purpose is a reflection of our core values. We feel more purposeful at work when our everyday behaviours and decisions are aligned with those values. And when we experience our role as purposeful, we are more proactive in formulating and conducting our day-to-day tasks, instead of passively embracing the status quo.’
Leaders are sometimes tempted to use financial incentives to provide more purpose, but that alone doesn’t work. In his book Payoff, behavioural economist Dan Ariely reveals that a cash bonus has a limited impact. ‘What we really crave are intrinsic incentives like appreciation and making meaningful progress.’ A cash bonus can therefore offer an incentive, but only if it acts as a clear sign of your appreciation.
Engagement
Do your employees enjoy their work? Do they get a say when it comes to decisions about the what, when and how of their work? Gallup research found that the overwhelming majority of answers to these questions is ‘no’.
Encouraging engagement in the workplace can be done in various ways. For example, give your staff more control over their work schedule, responsibilities and personal development, and build in opportunities to learn and grow.
In the context of lean manufacturing, a management philosophy that aims to maximise customer value with minimal waste, companies sometimes review their roles and functions. But they do that purely based on technical parameters, which gives the jobs less purpose. As a result, the efficiency gains they hoped for soon evaporate, because no one is happy anymore.
- Peter Beeusaert, HR consultant at SD Worx
Resilience
Employees need resilience to deal with disappointment, failure and mistakes made by themselves, colleagues and others. But this doesn’t mean that as an employer you should try your hardest to avoid mistakes and disappointment. Instead it’s all about tackling challenges at work in an efficient way.
This can be done, for example, by building a culture of acceptance. You win or you learn: mistakes are all part of it, and it’s about learning the right lessons and talking about them openly. If employees are afraid of making mistakes, they no longer dare to come up with new ideas or initiatives.
You can also increase resilience with mindfulness. Many studies have shown that mindfulness training reduces stress, increases concentration and resilience and has a positive effect on various physical or psychological complaints. In his book Mindful Work, New York Times journalist David Gelles reveals that mindfulness can be the key to a happier, more productive workplace.
Kindness
Finally, we’re also happier at work when we experience kindness. According to UC Berkeley, that starts with good old-fashioned civilised behaviour: treating each other with respect, listening carefully to each other, giving compliments, that kind of thing. If you want to take it a step further, you (and your team) can practise pro-social behaviour: working on your empathy, compassion and gratitude. These characteristics not only lead to more happiness at work, but also to better teamwork.
Isabel
Read more by IsabelRelated stories.
Guide to the work-related costs scheme in 2024 (for the Netherlands)
Welcome to the team! Smart onboarding, how does it work?
First day at work: how to get new employees off to a flying start
Subscribe to Kadonation’s newsletter!
Subscribe to receive only the most relevant blog articles, product updates and exclusive insider information.