Whistle While You Work

TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Feb. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably heard the hit song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. The lyrics encourage listeners to "…clap along if you know what happiness is to you."

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160208/330851

Which begs the question, what is the key to being happy? More specifically, what is the key to being happy at work? More money, more time off, family benefits?

That's what researchers at The University of Alabama want to know and they may have found some answers.

Dr. Jonathon Halbesleben, professor of organizational behavior and HealthSouth Chair of Health Care Management at the Culverhouse College of Commerce, has spent his career researching what makes people happy and more productive in their jobs.

"When people feel like they have meaningful work and it's adding to what the company is trying to accomplish—particularly if they buy into the company goals— that can be the most powerful force to keeping people happy," says Halbesleben.

Halbesleben's research shows that pay and benefits only get employees so far and these benefits don't necessarily contribute to workplace happiness.

"What you need to do is have that (pay) at a baseline level that people can be satisfied with. Then these social factors like how meaningful their work is and how well they get along with their coworkers, play a much larger role," explains Halbesleben. The people who stay in their jobs and are really happy are people who often, from the beginning, are asking about opportunities for growth.

Companies known for making their employees happy like Google and LinkedIn often pay less than expected, but they may have found the key to creating a happy workplace.

"Those are really good examples because many of those companies actually pay below average," says Halbesleben. "I think a lot of people don't even know that people often take a pay cut to work at Google. They do a really good job at identifying talent that can contribute in meaningful ways and give them the space to contribute in those meaningful ways."

Halbesleben adds that companies like Google give their employees freedom and room to grow. His research indicates that companies need to find people they trust to do the job and then let them do the job.

"At Google, there is a set percentage of time within the workweek that an employee can do whatever they want with that time, and it's not whatever you want as long as it makes Google more profitable. It just gives them the freedom to develop new ideas and not worry about it intruding on the other work that they should be doing," explains Halbesleben. "So rather than coming into work each day and you've got a to-do list that you're checking it off, it's a chance to shape the job in a way that you really, truly enjoy. I think a lot of these companies do a really good job of that and as a result people are really happy there. And in the end, the employees come up with innovative, new ideas."

So why aren't more companies following Google's lead?

"It's hard for companies to give up sort of the control over exactly how the work gets done. Standardization has been ingrained in everything that has been produced in America for so long," says Halbesleben.

New research confirms that job crafting can make work more meaningful or employees. The idea behind job crafting is that the employee creates the job he or she is interested in, one that suits their skills, and that makes them happy.

"On the surface that sounds really scary for managers because it looks like all these people are doing their own thing," Halbesleben says. "Take for example professors at a university—the courses have to get taught. We can't all decide that we're going to craft our jobs to not teach. The core work gets done, but employees might naturally reconfigure how the work gets done and who does the work in a way that better suits their desires, their talents, and their aspirations for the future. As an employee working with your coworkers to craft your jobs in a way that puts you in a place that makes you happy can be really important."

Another factor to job happiness that is important, but often overlooked is the time employees are not on the job. Research consistently shows it's a huge contributor to job satisfaction.

"Actually switching off from work for a while, like not checking your email at night, goes a long way to the time at work being happier and more productive," says Halbesleben. "There's a whole line of research that consistently finds that having time away from work—truly away from work—gives people a chance to recharge their batteries and come back to work in a much better place, be more productive and feel less stressed. Supporting the employee's family life is critical."

Halbesleben is currently collaborating on research, with Culverhouse doctoral student Ashley Mandeville and assistant professor of healthcare management Dr. Marilyn Whitman, that reveals why many people decide whether or not to take advantage of company benefits.

The list of family-friendly benefits studied include flexible work hours, job-sharing, telecommuting, unpaid leave (for family issues), personal time off/paid leave, family health insurance, pretax dollars for child care, pretax dollars for elder care, resource/referral for child care, resource/referral for elder care, on-site support groups, and work and family seminars.

Halbesleben sums up the bottom line to happy employees.

"I think ultimately the secret to a happy worker is setting up an employee so that they can do what they're good at, feel like they're contributing to something bigger than themselves, and have the room to actually make those contributions," he says. "If you put those things together, people tend to be very, very happy with the work that they're doing."

Media Contact: Edith Parten, The University of Alabama - Culverhouse College of Commerce, 205-348-8318, eparten@Culverhouse.ua.edu

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SOURCE The University of Alabama - Culverhouse College of Commerce