Leading organisational psychologist Cary Cooper has analysed the findings from the City & Guilds Happiness Index to help employers understand what makes people happy in the workplace.

The top 3 reasons for being happy at work are:

1. An interest in what you do for a living
2. Good relationships with colleagues
3. Having a work-life balance

Recent research calculates the direct cost of recruitment at between £4000 - £6000 for managers and professionals (The chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). If you are an employer, then there is a huge potential cost saving if you can hang onto your employees.

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Professor Cary Coopers’ tips for keeping your employees happy:

1. Develop reward and recognition policies not based on monetary benefits. In particular, consider the introduction of flexible working wherever possible.

2. Provide employees with a varied workload, to test the full spectrum of their job role. This will allow them to try different tasks whenever possible. If an interest in what we do for a living is the main driver of workplace happiness, then variation is critical to a developing a stimulating and happy working environment.

3. Develop strong management skills utilising praise and reward to motivate staff. If 89% of your female workforce views relationships with management as critical to their workplace happiness, it is time to ensure you have the skills to manage them well. Request management training if necessary.

4. Wherever possible give employees a sense of autonomy over their workloads. People thrive when they have independent control over their own projects. 

5. Consistently working long hours reduces productivity and destroys work / life balance, a key contributor to workplace happiness especially for the 40 to 49 age group. Ensure all your employees have a clearly defined exit time and strive to remove any tendencies towards a long hours culture.

Read Cary Cooper's full findings (pdf file 0.4mb)

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About Cary Cooper

Cary Cooper is Distinguished Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health in Lancaster University Management School. He is the author of over 100 books on occupational stress, women at work and industrial and organisational psychology. He is a frequent contributor to national newspapers, TV and radio, and holds a number of roles with many organisations within his specialist field. He is currently Chair of the Sunningdale Institute in the National School of Government in the Cabinet Office; President of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and in senior roles in many other organisations.