Don’t Worry. Be Happy.

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The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which has been polling more than 1,000 adults every day since January 2008, shows that Americans now feel worse about their jobs – and work environments – than ever before. People of all ages, and across all income levels, are unhappy with their supervisors, apathetic about their organizations and detached from what they do.

Could it be that companies have forgotten about the importance of keeping employees engaged and productive at work? While the tough economy may be distracting managers, those that have invested in employee engagement are most likely to retain star performers even as the economy continues to improve and employees start exploring their career options.

Still not convinced that employee happiness should matter, particularly during challenging recessionary times? Consider the results of a 2010 study by James K. Harter that found that lower job satisfaction foreshadowed poorer bottom-line performance. And Gallup estimates that a staggering $300 billion is lost annually due to “employee disengagement.”

In my next several posts I will share some of the current research on the topic of employee happiness and its impact on business culture, productivity and profit. I’ll also share some of the strategies we employ at Intertech, which contribute to our high level of employee satisfaction, employee retention and increasing profitability.

Happy reading!