Work happiness really is more important than money

Wildgoose surveyed workers at 120 companies in order to determine what drove their workforce to perform to the best of their ability, it turns out work happiness is more important than money. Comparing social and financial factors, we’ve taken the liberty below to identify some of the top takeaways and demographic analysis that the survey data uncovered.

Happiness At Work Deemed More Important Than Salary

• Of those asked which was more important between salary and work happiness, 39% of answers selected salary and 61% opted for work happiness– Whilst acquiring an income is of course the primary motivation for the vast majority of the workforce, it’s very interesting the extent or rather the lack of extent to which this statement can apply. Being in a role that takes up such a massive proportion of your time has been recognised by what it is by the majority of those being surveyed, which seems to prove the adage true that money can’t buy happiness.

• As someone more cynical might expect however, there was a fair discrepancy to how this question was answered when it came to job ranking/position. 85% of managers, directors and business owners surveyed prioritised salary over work happiness, which speaks volumes about the extent that their workload gets in the way of a life out from behind the desk.

• But we should further clarify what exactly happiness means in this context. From the perspective that it means socialising with one’s colleagues, 45% of those surveyed who chose happiness over salary opted for post-work drinks once a month as their preferred choice of getting to know each other, with having a communal eating area the second most popular option for doing so. Aside from telling us that morale within the British workforce significantly revolves around our stomachs, these findings highlight the importance of relationship building away from the place where employees sit all day.

Having A Best Friend At Work Linked With Productivity & Creativity

• Try as we might to though, there’s no getting away from our spot which calls to us day after day. In order to make the most of the time spent in just one place, strong relationships with those around you really can be of real benefit. The survey uncovered that the majority of those polled agreed having a best friend in the office can be a major boost, with 57% of respondents saying that it makes work more enjoyable. Others shared that they too similarly found that best friends can help in terms of productivity and creativity, with just 16% thinking that talking time is just time wasted and a measly 6% found such a rapport to actually be unproductive.

• By looking at the demographics of those that answered these questions as well, further interesting analysis can be made. 51% of men prioritised salary over happiness at work compared to 81% of women who felt the other way round. Interestingly, both males and females in approximately similar quantities felt that having a best friend at work aided in their effectiveness to perform to the best of their abilities.

Younger Employees The Most Financially Ambitious Demographic

• A trend was also found that indicates that younger members of staff lean more towards financial incentives than the social perks of a job. Despite every demographic preferring happiness to salary, it was 82% of over 45’s choosing workplace happiness over salary that stood out. Out of any age group by contrast, 30% of 26-34 year olds said that they were less worried about relationships in comparison to getting work done-unsurprising if they are looking to take their career to new heights.

The Larger The Firm The Easier It Is To Forge Friendships

• The results also were altered when looked through the prism of company size. 69% of employees in small and medium sized businesses valued work happiness over salary, next to 56% of those in larger firms feeling the same way. This perhaps says a lot about the attitudes of those that work in each respective type of company, yet 26% of those within a business of less than 10 employees don’t have a best friend at work. Only 12.5% of larger firms have those in a similar predicament, no doubt due to the fact that they have more potential choices for socialising.

So it seems that in order to get the best out of employees, simply paying them well is insufficient if their social needs are not also met. Relationships between staff members are integral, especially within a business that requires teamwork to fulfil objectives. Much as the human body has various components that work together for the collective good, any commercial organisation has to do so in the same way. It’s a point that’s worth repeating again and again for business owners everywhere, just why it’s so important not to neglect the human element of your workforce.

 

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Engage & Prosper is a UK based privately owned Employee Engagement Consultancy and Social Enterprise, on a mission to help organisations develop a highly productive and fulfilling workplace culture, with their people, through enhanced employee engagement strategies, fabulous and effective internal communications platforms and tailored reward and recognition programmes.

For more information on Engage & Prosper or to discover how we can help you achieve your organisational and people goals please call +44 (0) 330 223 0464 or find out more at www.engageandprosper.com