When we graduate from school and contemplate how we want to make a living, we’re not often considering companies with happy employees. We tend to focus on the best opportunities like pay, location, and sometimes even a foot in the door is enough. We’re delighted to be out of school and interacting in the world, getting paid to use our skills.
What we don’t always remember to think about is our long-term game. It’s easy to be drawn to positions with good pay, high clout, and overall stability, but this doesn’t always equate to work satisfaction. Choosing a company with a proven track record of happy employees is the best place to start.
Today, we will show you why companies with happy employees succeed and how to keep them happy.
Do Companies With Happy Employees Exist?
Happiness is tricky and doesn’t look the same for two people. To some, happiness might be lying on the beach, drinking a fruity cocktail garnished with a mini-umbrella, and baking under the sun; to others, this is their worst nightmare.
Defining happiness isn’t easy, but it is easy to focus on things proven to create happiness. When a person is in an atmosphere that contributes to their success, reduces stress, and allows them flexibility in their life, they will stress less, leaving more time for peace, happiness, and wellbeing.
Happiness is commonly described as joy, contentment, and positive well-being, but this explanation often leaves out that happiness requires discomfort.
“Happiness is not the result of bouncing from one joy to the next; researchers find that achieving happiness typically involves times of considerable discomfort.” - Psychology Today
Does this sound like an oxymoron? Let us explain…
For some people, happiness is securing a billion-dollar merger; for others, it’s finally solving a riddle to win a video game. However, happiness is often seen as an outcome rather than a process, but we’ve been looking at happiness wrong for years, especially for companies with happy employees.
Take a moment and think back to when you felt truly happy. Does this moment include a sense of pride? Is this a memory of an easy win or a hard to attain victory? Chances are, you thought of something that brought out a sense of pride in yourself and something that did not come easy.
Maybe you thought about the first car you bought after saving for three summers straight working as a dishwasher at a local diner, or perhaps it was the birth of your first child after many failed attempts at trying. No matter the circumstance that created the happiness, a sense of pride is a frequent contributor.
When we see our child’s first smile or open up the engine of our new wheels on the freeway, we’re right there, enjoying that moment, absorbed in happiness. We’re not thinking about the medical expenses and late nights or the plates upon plates of food we had to scrape at our summer jobs. We are there to enjoy that beautiful moment. After all, it’s why we worked so hard in the first place.
We put ourselves in uncomfortable situations to achieve results because we know it’s the things we have to fight for that mean the most. However, we don’t need to do it alone, and we certainly don’t need to pursue careers with companies that don’t care about their employee’s overall happiness.
We put ourselves in uncomfortable situations to achieve results because we know it’s the things we have to fight for that mean the most.
The Real Reason Companies With Happy Employees Succeed
Who wants to spend the majority of their time at a place that does not focus on the health and happiness of their workers? After all, without workers, companies don’t operate, so their success depends on the quality of their teams. If they have high turnover or unproductive employees, they won’t achieve their goals.
If you plan to show up to work and put in your best effort, shouldn’t your employers do the same?
The best way to locate a company that cares about its workers is to look for employers dedicated to employee health and wellness programs because those companies have the happiest employees. Companies with a considerable focus on wellness continue to show positive results, including saving money and increasing employee happiness.
It’s easy to think of wellness as a basic benefits program, but wellness is so much more than health benefits. Medical and dental insurance are a great start, but the rapidly improving world of health and wellness gives employers more options on what they can provide.
For most of us, the dollar is no longer the reigning champion of persuasion when it comes to career decisions because we’re realizing how precious time is and how much the pursuit of the almighty dollar creates a false sense of happiness and stability. We want to feel appreciated and like the work we do matters. We want to be surrounded by people that are as invested in us as we are in them.
We want to be surrounded by people that are as invested in us as we are in them.
Remember, Wellness Matters
The companies with happy employees are the ones that know how to treat them, and happy employees stick around. Each business needs to decide on programs that will help their employees without hurting their business, making a wellness program’s versatility crucial.
It’s important to look at all the benefits before accepting the position to recognize the full scope of a compensation package. However, it’s important to remember that even small wellness programs can impact and don’t always need a big budget.
Wellness programs are vast, ranging from minimal to expansive, depending on the company providing the benefits. Most large companies will offer complex wellness packages, so if you plan on pursuing a career in more prominent industries, why not choose the ones with the best of the best wellness.
Medical and Dental Insurance. This is at the top of the list because it’s the one we all need and most offer. Don’t skip this one, and you might want to think twice before pursuing companies that do.
Vision Insurance. Many people that have good vision think they don’t need eye exams. While they may not need glasses, optometrists can often spot initial early symptoms of diseases. That eye exam could help lead to a diagnosis that can save your life.
Mental Health Benefits. Finding a company with mental health visits is getting a little easier since the implementation of online therapy platforms. If you find one with full mental health benefits, they are seriously worth considering. Mental health services are expensive, and if a company is willing to invest in promoting them, they are worth taking a serious look into.
Access to Physical Fitness. Gym memberships, group fitness, or walks at lunchtime. Fitness and movement are keys to health and wellness, and companies that promote them show they value their workers. Companies with happy employees almost always have access to physical fitness.
Flexible Work Schedules. Commuting five days a week in traffic with rising gas costs is something we’ve learned in recent years isn’t necessary. Employers that offer employees flexible schedules give them more control over their time and improve their life quality.
Paid Time Off and Sick Leave. Employers that don’t provide their employees with paid time off won’t keep people around long. Look for companies that understand that life happens.
Screening Incentives. Get paid to do all the things you should be doing to take care of yourself. Dental cleanings, routine checkups, and even that eye exam we mentioned early should happen, and why not look for employers that will make it worth your while to stay on top of your health?
Remember that whole discomfort thing we mentioned early? Let’s circle back to that for just a minute before we wrap up.
Think about all the hard things you’ve done in your life that have paid off. Did you do those things all on your own without any help whatsoever? Or did you do it with the help of parents, teachers, friends, or even coffee?
Wellness Can Be Challenging, But It Doesn’t Have To Be
While wellness programs aren’t designed to force people to do what they don’t want to do, they help people succeed in the things they want to do.
Wellness programs can’t make you step on a treadmill, but they can give you a pass to access them. They can’t make you stop smoking, but they can offer tobacco cessation programs and resources to help you quit.
We feel happy when our minds are at peace and proud of ourselves. It’s the reason we work so hard and the reason we don’t give up.
To be happy people, we need to take our wellness seriously. We need to choose companies with happy employees. We need to select companies that care about their teams, and it’s the companies with the best wellness programs with the happiest employees.
To Recap: Companies With Happy Employees Focus on Wellness
We all want to find our place in this world, use our skills, and find the best company to utilize those skills. We want our work to matter, and we want to be a part of teams that supports those skills.
While money is an effective carrot to take a job, it won’t be the reason to keep the job. We need to feel appreciated, and the best way to find a company that will support their employees is to locate the ones with the best wellness programs.
We need to feel appreciated, and the best way to find a company that will support their employees is to locate the ones with the best wellness programs.
Remember, happiness doesn’t mean pain-free. Happiness means discomfort, often prolonged, as we pursue what we believe will make us happy. If we want happiness, we need to work for it, but we don’t need to do it alone.
When we choose companies with valuable wellness packages, we will be equipped with the tools to create our own happiness. When we show up to work ready to sacrifice our time and energy, our employers need to show us they value our time by providing resources to help us.
Wellness is more than a comprehensive benefits program. It depends on what you need in your life to be healthy. Healthiness is about balance, reducing stress, and taking care of ourselves. When we find companies that emphasize overall health and wellness, it’s a good indicator that they’ll be where you want to stay.
The Best Wellness Programs Have:
Medical and Dental Insurance. Please don’t skip this one; it’s essential!
Vision Insurance. Remember that an eye exam could help lead to a diagnosis that can save your life.
Mental Health Benefits. Mental health services are expensive, and if a company is willing to invest in promoting them, they are worth taking a serious look into.
Access to Physical Fitness. Fitness and movement are keys to health and wellness, and companies that promote them show they value their workers.
Flexible Work Schedules. Employers that offer employees flexible schedules give them more control over their time and improve their life quality.
Paid Time Off and Sick Leave. Look for companies that understand that life happens.
Screening Incentives. Get paid to do all the things you should be doing to take care of yourself.
While these are the heavy hitters in employee health and wellness programs, there is a high range of options when determining the best employee wellness program. It’s crucial to find one that works for you.
Taking the time to learn about companies with happy employees will help you make the best decision on which ones are worth pursuing because those are the companies that have the best performance rates, lowest turnover, and minimal medical expenses. These are the companies that show they care by wanting you to take care of yourself.
We invite you to explore how you can win with a wellness program that will not only increase productivity but so much more! Schedule a Free Demo with our team and learn how to make wellness work for you.
