Finding happiness at work has been a struggle for many of our readers. According to recent studies, new employees are experiencing lower levels of engagement and inclusion than ever before. If you’ve been feeling a bit disconnected at work lately, you're not alone. 

In this article, Team Leadology breaks down what it means to be happy at work and how you can spot the employees who need a little help finding it! Read on to learn our simple solutions and take away an actionable strategy that actually works.

On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you at work right now?  Here’s what we’re learning…

Why IS everyone so unhappy at work?

We’ve been thinking a lot about this Wall Street Journal article that dives into the why and how behind unhappiness in the workplace. What really stood out to us was Qualtrics’ Top Employee Trends of 2024. They studied over 37,000 workers which found that people with less than six months into a job reported lower levels of engagement, feelings of inclusion, and intent to stay than long tenured workers. This is a significant flip from previous years where new employees have typically been highly engaged. 

So why is there no more honeymoon phase for these new employees?

Between high turnover and threats of a recession, companies focused all of their resources on hiring and less on onboarding and integration. Because of this, work feels like a simple transaction, leaving these new employees feeling disconnected from the business as well as on a human level. As a result, they have been lacking a felt sense of their impact and contribution.  All of this combined, drives disengagement.  

Good news: Your company can recover from disengagement

If this hits a little too close to home, there are ways you can start rebuilding engagement in your organization. And it’s not as complicated or time consuming as you might think! 

Recognition is the #1 way to bring the “human” element back to work and ensure people feel seen and appreciated. When organizations get recognition right, employees are more committed, engaged and connected to their workplace culture. Recognition isn’t just a feel good tool, it has a real impact on employee retention, engagement and ROI.  

But how do we do it in a way that is meaningful, authentic, and has a profound positive impact on employee well-being and inspiring happiness at work? 

How to help employees find happiness at work

Here’s the key - we need to increase the frequency of recognition. 

And I know what you’re thinking: ”But, how do I do that without watering it down or sounding phony?”

To make these conversations more meaningful, we need to ask better questions. This will help you understand what each person values about themselves currently and what their aspirations are down the road.  

Here are some of our favorite questions that have been helping us learn more about the people we work with everyday.

1. What have other people told you you’re great at doing?

2. What sorts of activities do you finish and think, “I can’t wait to do that again”?

3. What do you know you can do well but haven’t had the chance to do yet?

PRO TIP: Take note of their body language and tone along with their answers. We think you’ll be surprised by what you notice!

Workplace solutions that actually work to drive employee engagement 

Learning more about what matters to your team members and/or coworkers positions you to easily provide recognition that connects to their values, articulates their contribution, and feels appreciative.

And because we really want to help you make recognition a daily practice in your organization, we created a FREE download for you. Reinforce success and help employees find happiness at work in our newest eBook.

Cheers to being happy at work,

Carrie & Team Leadology