Happy at Work: 12 Ways We Create a Happier Workplace
Desislava Cholakova
01 March 2024
Let’s face it—the workplace isn’t typically seen as a beacon of joy and happiness.
Yet, it’s probably where your employees are spending a large portion of their time. And nowadays, monetary incentives just aren’t enough to keep your employees happy at work.
Workplace happiness isn’t just a win for employees, it also ensures your company is operating at its full potential. Fortunately, keeping your employees happy doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.
So, join us at Thankbox as we share our insights on how you can make your workplace a more positive place for your employees.
Let’s get started!
Keep Your Employees Happy at Work With Thankbox
What’s more positive than recognition and rewards at work? Create a Thankbox in just a few clicks and show your employees just how valuable they are.
12 ways to increase employee happiness at work
While defining happiness itself can be tricky, as it differs from person to person, there are certain aspects of happiness that you can pick up in the workplace. For example, managers and employees alike can often relate work happiness to motivation, engagement, and overall job satisfaction.
When these positive emotions collide at work, your employees are more likely to go the extra mile and give their best performance.
Now, let’s dive into the practical steps your company can take to keep your employees happy at work.
1. Meaningful recognition and rewards
It’s essential to show your employees that you appreciate their efforts. There’s nothing better than genuine recognition and thoughtful rewards to boost employee morale and happiness at work.
Fortunately, you can turn to Thankbox when you want to shine a light on a team member’s amazing work, celebrate a career change, or simply say ‘Thank you’. Our group e-cards make it easy for everyone at work to add a personal note, delightful GIFs, or memorable photos and videos.
Feeling inspired? Include a beautiful flower bouquet with your e-card too!
2. Celebrate milestones as a team
Take recognition a step further by bringing everyone together to congratulate your employees on their achievements outside of work. Making sure to celebrate individual and collective milestones doesn’t only give the recipients a sense of satisfaction–it also allows all your team members to feel as if they belong to something greater.
Thankbox helps you make your group celebrations more sentimental with e-cards for weddings, anniversaries, graduations, new homes, and just about any occasion or sentiment you could think of. It’s easy to customise your e-cards with GIFs, messages, photos, and videos to give them a personal feel.
But that’s not all.
We also offer digital gift cards that are perfect for when you’re unsure of what gift to send. Our group gift collection process is super simple and giftees have over 700 retailers to choose from when they redeem the balance.
3. Allow flexibility
If your company is able, consider including hybrid work options for your employees. By allowing more flexible working schedules, your employees can feel like they have the freedom to work in a way that accommodates their special skills and strengths.
With such empowerment, you can avoid micromanaging your employees, which in turn reduces frustration and resentment at work.
4. Promote work-life balance
To keep your employees happy at work, they shouldn’t feel like their job is consuming their life. You’ll need to encourage a healthy work-life balance to maintain motivation and reduce burnout.
Be prepared to offer sufficient time off, provide breaks during the workday, and help your employees establish clear boundaries between their work and personal life.
5. Get into team-building activities
Not just specific activities but incorporate constant spaces for casual employee interaction
Team building activities can be a fun and effective way to get your team excited about work and boost collaboration. After all, we’re all aware that those we spend time with at work can impact happiness on a day-to-day basis.
Through engaging team-building, your employees can develop stronger bonds with each other as they develop a greater sense of purpose within your organisation.
6. Support growth and innovation
Employees need the opportunity to finesse their skills and grow to feel more motivated and satisfied at work. A thoughtful way to keep your employees fulfilled at work is by encouraging their professional development through workshops and passion projects.
Also, make sure to open up career mobility opportunities within your company so that your employees are reassured that their good work allows them to progress further in their career.
7. Have a little fun together
Just because your work may be serious, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a little fun at work.
As the saying goes, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. So, give your employees an enjoyable break by incorporating office games and group outings that not only boost staff morale, but also bring the team together.
8. Dive into wellness activities
Indulging in wellness activities isn't something that should just be reserved for employee off-days. Don’t hesitate to include wellness activities like guided meditation breaks, walking meetings, and fitness challenges into the work week. This way, decreasing stress and increasing well-being becomes a continuous collective goal with the whole team.
Keep Your Employees Happy at Work With Thankbox
What’s more positive than recognition and rewards at work? Create a Thankbox in just a few clicks and show your employees just how valuable they are.
9. Take the time to listen
You’ll be much better equipped to put your employees first when you take the initiative to hear them out. Implement an open-door policy that allows anyone to share their thoughts and feelings regarding their work life.
By learning more about your employees and practising active listening, you’ll be able to understand their different needs and how to keep their spirits high.
10. Re-shape failure
Believe it or not, the way managers respond when an employee makes a mistake can be make-or-break for some employees. Reacting negatively and dealing out “punishments” is a sure way to foster resentment.
Instead, try to stay positive and help your employees use the experience to grow and conquer their fear of failure. Before reacting, take a step back and open two-way discussions about what might have gone wrong and brainstorm ways to improve in the future.
11. Foster trust and transparency
A positive work environment doesn’t come without employee trust. A great way to do this is by keeping your lines of communication open and following through on the promises you make.
Maintaining transparency with your employees is also key. This means being honest about your expectations, goals, as well as challenges. It doesn’t just go one way, though. You’ll also need to be open to constructive feedback from your employees and make sure to act on it.
12. Provide appropriate support
Life is always going to have its curveballs, and if you want to build a happier workplace, showing your support when it’s needed most is important.
Fortunately, Thankbox allows you to extend a comforting arm by creating get well soon, and sympathy and condolences e-cards for your employees.
Beyond that, you’ll have the opportunity to create digital memorial boards to commemorate the employees you may have lost. They're accessible online forever, so you can continuously spread love and keep your memories alive.
Wrapping up
Happiness doesn’t have to be something that exists only outside the workplace. With our tips, you have some great ways to sprinkle joy into the professional lives of your employees, making work life much more worthwhile.
Ready to turn your employees’ frowns upside down? Create a Thankbox today and make someone’s day a little bit brighter!
Images: Cover | Group of people putting up their fists | Employees having a christmas party | Diverse cheerful colleagues having a conversation | Man and a woman having an open conversation
