Studies show happy employees are 50% more productive. (iOpener)
- Happy employees are better team players, they inspire and motivate their colleagues (Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project)
- 28% of employees have considered switching to a competitor because they’re unhappy (Universum)
There’s a growing body of evidence to show that happy employees are more productive, take less time off sick and are more energised, motivated and engaged. Nurturing a happy team isn’t difficult or expensive, as more and more companies are coming to realise, and the start of a new year is naturally the ideal time to start boosting morale. With budgets tighter than ever and time at a premium for many businesses, nurturing a happy team can often come second to running a tight ship.
“Increased employee happiness results in increased productivity,” comments James Cullen, CEO of corporate treating service Givvit Rewards. “Making your staff happy doesn’t have to be about grand, costly gestures. It’s about taking the time to make them feel valued and recognising their contribution to the company.”
Jessica Pryce-Jones, author of Happiness at Work and CEO of iOpener, conducted research with 3,000 respondents in 79 countries. She comments,
“What’s the evidence that people who are happy at work have it all? The happiest employees are 180% more energized than their less content colleagues, 155% happier with their jobs, 150% happier with life, 108% more engaged and 50% more motivated. Most staggeringly, they are 50% more productive too.”
Pryce-Jones’ research also discovered that the happiest employees take 66% less sick leave than the unhappiest ones.
New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, who wrote The Happiness Project, also observes that happy employees are able to better inspire and motivate their colleagues, with emotional contagion boosting team morale. Quite simply, “happy people are good for teams.”
Treating employees is certainly one effective way to increase happiness in the workplace and a popular option to kick off the New Year, but employers often struggle with where to start. Bonuses are great but can seem impersonal and not always affordable. Team drinks are lovely, but what about those who don’t drink or can’t make the date?
Thankfully, the newly launched Givvit Rewards provides the perfect solution. Companies can treat their employees en masse to a selection of items via the Givvit Rewards website. All they need is a list of names and email addresses or phone numbers.
Givvit Treats can be redeemed at much-loved retailers such as M&S, Caffè Nero, PizzaExpress amongst others, and include bottles of wine, chocolates, coffees, pub drinks, flowers, charitable donations and more, all digitally sent with a personalised message.
It’s the frequency of treating that can help to keep employees happy and motivated. The element of surprise is one of the most interesting features of the Givvit approach. A business can choose to treat its staff on a whim and make it happen in minutes. So if everyone’s looking a little tired and jaded as the New Year rolls around, the managers can treat them all to an unexpected latte. Or if a team has had to work late all week on a project, the company can treat them to a pizza as a thank you. It’s this fun, flexible approach that is already proving so popular with SMEs.
According to more Universum research – taking in 250,000 professionals across 55 markets – 28% of employees in the US and Canada have considered leaving their current employer for a competitor in the last year.
Making sure employees feel valued with rewards beyond their pay packets can do much more than providing a shot in the arm every now and then – it can help keep a good team together. Well worth the price of a cup of coffee.
For further information, visit www.givvitrewards.com or download the free app from www.givvit.com.