What is the most important contributor to employee happiness?
Having a sense of purpose at work has emerged as the top contributor to employee happiness in Australia, according to a new report.
In a survey among over 1,200 employees, SEEK found that 55% of Australians feel happy at work.
The top contributor to their happiness is purpose at work, followed by their managers, and then their day-to-day responsibilities, according to the poll.
"Having purpose at work is the most important contributor to happiness for Australian workers," SEEK said on its website. "Australians also consider their manager, day-to-day responsibilities, company culture, and stress levels as the most important factors in their happiness at work after purpose at work."
Source: SEEK Australia
Flexible work arrangements, which are highly in demand and debated throughout Australia, are at the 12th spot. Work location came in at the 13th place, followed by job security at the 14th place.
How to boost employee happiness
With only 55% of employees feeling happy at work, SEEK suggested communicating about what makes them unhappy in the workplace.
"If you know what's making you unhappy at work, it becomes easier to take action," it said. "The first step is communication - talking to those around you, particularly your manager, to see if changes can be made."
SEEK suggested talking to managers about boundaries, management styles, hybrid work, and even pay.
Feeling happy and fulfilled at work can deliver organisational benefits as it can boost productivity by 12%, according to previous research from the University of Warwick.
"Leaders can ensure happy staff by prioritising team culture and committing to living the team/organisational values and behaviours," Scott Dutton, principal consultant, The Conflict Consultancy previously said.
"It is also essential to invite employee feedback by being open and receptive to change what is not working."
