Improved Lives

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I have to hand it to the UK, they’ve got a focus on happiness that I really wish we had over here in North America.

This was a study by City & Guilds, a UK outfit, that quizzed people from 20 different professions to come up with a ranking of the jobs that give people the most happiness.

The general trend throughout the results is that financial reward does not correlate to increased happiness levels.

The researchers also found that what makes us happy in a workplace changes as we age:

For the under 30s in the early stages of their careers, financial security and good relationships with colleagues are the two main deliverers of workplace happiness

Financial security remains important to those in their thirties, as many people buy their first homes and start families

Once workers reach 40, work-life balance begins to play a more critical role as we leave behind the so called ‘career-striving years’ – 96% of workers aged 40-49 claim work-life balance is the most important factor for determining their happiness at work

For the final stages of our career, after turning 50, we return to an interest in what we do for a living as the number one deliverer of workplace happiness

I think one of the most interesting findings though was that only 1 in 10 managers allow their employees to work from home. I’m a big fan of Tim Ferriss and his book The Four Hour Work Week,in which he talks a lot about how to get out of the office and work on your own terms. I think it’s disappointing that it’s 1 in 10, that could and should be a lot better.

Lastly, Dr. Gary Cooper, the man behind the study, offers five tips to managers to increase workplace happiness. If you’re a manager, or an employee who has a manager who might be interested in increasing workplace happiness, I encourage you to take a look:

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 utilizing 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.

And finally, here is the complete list. Find out where your career or a career similar to yours ranks:

1. Beauticians
2. Hairdressers
3. Armed Forces
4. Catering/chefs
5. Retail staff
6. Teachers
7. Marketing/PR
8. Accountants
9. Secretaries/Receptionists
10. Plumbers
11. Engineers
12. Architects
13. Journalists
14. Mechanics/Automotive
15. Human Resources
16. Call centre
17. IT specialists
18. Nurses
19. Banker/Finance
20. Builders/construction

Further Reading:
- Happiness Index 2008 by City & Guilds

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