If Your Employees Are Happy, They’ll Likely Stay, and Here’s Why

The Work Happiness Score and work happiness survey are now the Work Wellbeing Score and work wellbeing survey, respectively. Learn more and access our most up-to-date resources.

Canadian businesses are not excluded as the world grapples with rising costs and inflation. Of course, external challenges like this affect global employers, whether it’s a pandemic or inflation. But looking internally may allow for a better opportunity to succeed and sustain difficult economic periods. 

Understanding and prioritizing your workforce’s wellbeing and happiness can increase the likelihood of retention and attraction, impacting your organization’s creativity, productivity, and success. Employee happiness remains one of the top reasons folks decide to leave, second only to unfair pay. Therefore, focusing on workplace happiness and wellbeing is not only helpful, but also proven to attract, recruit, and retain talent. 

When asked what makes them happy at work, employees reported that feeling energized, having a purpose, and a sense of belonging were strong indicators of overall happiness and wellbeing. 

How to ensure your employees are happy and feel they belong

Employees who are happy at work are more likely to become an ambassador of the company and recruit new talent. Finding a good work/life balance is specifically important to Millennials, who will represent the majority of the global workforce by 2025, and is one of the leading reasons they choose to leave or stay at a job. 

But it’s not just Millennials — humans are social and need connection and interaction with others. Even introverts admit some form of interaction throughout their work week is key to their happiness and limits their feelings of isolation. 

Adopting these strategies to increase employee happiness can be exceedingly beneficial. 

Create opportunities for growth and connection

When there are opportunities for advancement and connection, employees thrive and are much more likely to stay with their current employer. 

Mentorship opportunities are shown to be successful, fulfilling an individual’s aspirational goals and desire for social interaction. Mentorship programs are also relatively low-cost and can build employee happiness. 

Creating an environment for deeper social connections can be particularly challenging for remote-based organizations. Building connections with other team members is a pillar of employee happiness yet doing so behind a screen can have the opposite effect on an employee’s mood.

Decide what makes sense within your organization’s budget. Events like annual in-person meetings — if everyone is scattered throughout the country or world — or regular in-person get-togethers can help increase a sense of connection with others. 

Prioritize your employees’ wellness and wellbeing

When they first arrived, employee wellness programs were well-intended. But offering gym memberships, onsite yoga, or healthier food options may not be the success it was once thought to be. Gym memberships and more veggies in the office cafe mean very little to parents who need childcare support. 

Start by listening to your employees’ needs and not assuming a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace happiness. 

Address roadblocks to employee wellbeing 

Employee burnout is real. Budget cuts, feelings of isolation due to remote work, and other factors contribute to deeper dissatisfaction at work. But these roadblocks can be areas of opportunity. 

With many organizations pivoting to remote work, businesses face balancing the social interaction needed for employee happiness with the need for flexible work schedules. Canadian employees reported that a lack of social interaction, isolation and loneliness, and increased workload were the primary indicators of burnout.

Companies should implement strategies, hiring practices, and programs that focus on employee wellbeing by offering more opportunities for social connection while limiting the increase in workload. 

Measure how your employees feel with the Work Happiness Score 

Seventy-four percent of job seekers say workplace happiness is important when considering a new position. Indeed’s Work Happiness Score allows companies to assess their workforce’s happiness and job seekers to understand the company’s overall wellbeing when determining their future.