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Summary: Happiness in the workplace can be increased by emphasizing these four things.
- Community
- Letting employees be themselves/encouraging all their interests
- Family time
- Wellness
A survey of 3,800 skilled workers in Iceland working in 21 different occupations found nearly 87% of them were satisfied with their jobs and 75% said they would recommend their line of work to youth. So what is going in Iceland to generate such contentedness in the workplace?
Community is a central part of life there, and it carries over into the workplace. Research has shown that the more connected employees feel at work, the happier they are. (Social isolation can even be a health hazard.)
In his book, Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh identified connectedness as one of the four core components of happiness. The number of good friends at work is the key metric he references as a measure of connectedness. Additionally, 'Do you have a best friend at work?' was one of the chief questions asked for the groundbreaking book, First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently.
Allowing employees to be themselves and nurturing their outside interests also can contribute to happiness in the workplace. For example, Jon Gnarr is the mayor of Iceland's capital. He was a rock musician, actor and comedian before becoming involved in politics. When he was a child, he was said to be severely retarded and had learning difficulties. His autobiography titled The Indian details these situations. Currently he also posts frequently on FaceBook about a range of topics.
Putting family first also contributes to employee happiness, because it makes their lives easier and generally family is what is most important to them. In Iceland, companies provide nine months of maternity leave. Company policies that make life easier for workers who have strong family ties will probably create happiness.
Considering employee wellness in the workplace can be another factor. If a company provides any food to employees, even if it just from vending machines, making sure those offerings are not junk food can help employees maintain their health. (Health food is reportedly a growing trend in Iceland as well.) Providing a quiet space for yoga, stretching or meditation can also help employees maintain their fitness and peace of mind.
Image Credit: Bjørn Giesenbauer, Wiki Commons
