Ingredients for a Workplace Happiness Revolution

Bravely Coach, Ericka Spradely kicked off a recent webinar about how “The Workplace Needs a Happiness Revolution”  by commenting, “I hope employers walk away with notes courtesy of the Great Resignation. This time has revealed how badly employees desire flexibility and autonomy.”  Remember when working from home was a contested topic? Remember how outrageous the idea was, that we could possibly allow employees to work remotely? And now, two years after the start of the pandemic, remote work is the new normal. Yet, there is still a struggle to give employees the autonomy and flexibility they desire. 

A desire for more flexibility & autonomy often translates to remote work. Here are some 2022 statistics on how successful remote work has turned out to be: 

• 77% of remote workers say they’re more productive when working from home. 
• 85% of managers believe that having teams with remote workers will become the new norm
• 74% of workers say that having the option to work remotely would make them less likely to leave a  company. 

Ingredients for a Workplace Happiness Revolution: 

Employees are asking for leaders and managers to simply show they care about their individual trajectories. The events of the last two years have shaken most humans to the point of soul-longing for purpose and connection. Jennifer Sukola, a Bravely coach who joined Ericka in this webinar, shared that “the pandemic has changed what brings people to work and what keeps them at work. Ask people what they need, and allow them to feel heard and valued. That can contribute to the path to happiness in your organization.” 

If there is a new normal, elevated burnout rates might be it. People are stressed- and with good reason! War! Climate Crisis! Gun Violence! It’s been constant for two years and our nervous systems have not had a chance to come off the defense after so much catastrophe. On the off chance you’re unaware of the statstics on burnout in 2022, 

• Employee burnout is a global concern. In a survey of over 1000 respondents by Deloitte, 77% say they have experienced burnout at their current job.
• 91% say that unmanageable stress or frustration impacts the quality of their work, and 83% say burnout can negatively impact personal relationships.
• Even those passionate about their jobs are still stressed at work with 64% saying they are frequently stressed at work.

Employees are hungry for a revitalization of their purpose and satisfaction at work. What leads to employee happiness? How can we dial in the knobs to increase the chances of a Workplace Happiness Revolution? In addition to the “ingredients” listed above, we can provide clear pathways for advancement. Employees are hungry to know they are progressing on the right path, toward their career goals. By creating more transparency around how promotions are given, leaders can offer employees peace of mind that they are meeting the expectations laid out by their organization in order to progress in their careers. 

Read more here: Clear expectations are the secret ingredient to happier teams.

There is an incredibly strong link between employee happiness and productivity. When this question arose in our webinar, “Can we go too far and compromise results?”  Ericka Spradley had an amazing response: “What is too far? Happy employees stay in their jobs 4x longer than unhappy employees, are 12% more productive, commit twice as much time to their tasks and have 65% more energy than their unhappy colleagues.” Perhaps the better question is how far will you go, as a leader, to ensure workplace happiness? What is the cost of good talent? At Bravely we believe that having a human-first approach to work will lead us into a more compassionate, empathetic future of work- one that is equitable, accessible and creates a new standard for generations of workers to come. A workplace happiness revolution is just the beginning.