Happiness isn’t merely a feel-good factor—it’s a potent productivity booster. Research from the University of Warwick shows that happy employees are around 12% more productive. This underscores the necessity of fostering a positive work environment where well-being and job satisfaction are paramount.
The demise of Anna Sebastian, a promising young CA at Ernst & Young (EY) Pune, underscores the importance of addressing toxic work cultures and creating environments where employee happiness and mental health are treated as business imperatives, not afterthoughts. It’s not just about boosting productivity—it’s about protecting lives.
Anuradha Kumar, Head of HR, GITC, AstraZeneca India., asserts that genuinely understanding and addressing workforce needs and aspirations can significantly enhance workplace happiness and drive performance. “We are continuously assessing and evolving wellness initiatives to stay attuned to the needs and aspirations of our workforce to stay happy,” said Anuradha.
To boost happiness at the workplace, Anuradha suggests supporting work-life balance by focusing on “Moments that matter”, offering growth and learning, fostering a culture of recognition, designing fun and networking events, and giving back to the community. “Through these programs we aim to create an engaging workplace that enhances employee satisfaction to help us deliver life-changing medicines and achieve our strategic goals,” she added.
A happier mind is a house of productive thoughts that encourage an employee to assimilate all kinds of positivity in the surroundings and dodge any negativity if s/he encounters it, said Fayyaz Ashraf, MD, Solartive. “The right mix of Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphins, and Oxytocin equips individuals to tackle challenges with enthusiasm.”
To foster happiness at work, organisations should build a culture of recognition and rewards, coupled with fair growth opportunities to help employees achieve their career goals,” Fayyaz explained.
He also noted that offering opportunities for employees to creatively showcase their hidden talents can significantly boost motivation and happiness, regardless of their role or position. A supportive environment like this can turn even an average performer into a valuable asset.
Employee-centric HR strategies
Flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, and promoting open communication across all levels are some of the employee-centric HR strategies that have been vital in striving toward a culture of growth and holistic well-being at Arete. “By encouraging continuous learning and skill-building, we aim to empower our teams to thrive in a dynamic environment. Equally important is our focus on work-life balance and managing stress, ensuring our employees are supported both personally and professionally,” said Kumud Kumar Khulbe, CHRO, Arete Group of Companies.
As part of these efforts, Arete recently launched the “Umatter program”, a dedicated initiative focused on the mental well-being of its workforce.
“Through Umatter, we provide platforms for open dialogue around mental health, offering resources and events to help break the stigma of seeking counselling, therapy, and support. This initiative helps us create a resilient and empathetic workplace,” added Khulbe.
Gopinath Pullaihgari, Sr. Director & Head Human Resources, Verizon India, argued that we prioritise a workplace where employees feel comfortable being themselves and expressing their opinions.”This has led to a high level of satisfaction from employees in our internal Pulse scores which also contributes to lowering our attrition rate to be one of the best in the industry. Regular employee engagement surveys play a pivotal role in identifying our strengths and weaknesses thus driving a positive change as it is seen as a commitment towards translating their feedback into actionable improvements, ensuring that the employee feels valued and empowered.”
Further workforce is also encouraged to connect with their passion beyond work through the ten Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). “These ERGs are formed around common interests and help employees connect and engage beyond work becoming an engine for enriching our work experience while fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with our organizational objectives,” added Gopinath.