How to use staff happiness to boost your business

Research by executive search company Korn Ferry has found that happy employees are good for business: happy staff generate more sales and are better at taking on challenges than those who are miserable in their jobs.

Michelle Moss, director of assessments at Korn Ferry's alliance partner Talent Africa, said of the research: "Traditionally, staff members worked seriously hard on the job and had fun after hours, at the weekend or in retirement. Today, you are encouraged to be happy in your work and have fun making your workaday contribution."

Moss has the following advice:

To increase their staff members' happiness, some big companies provide on-site gyms, hair salons and other services. "The aim is higher staff retention, but the essential building block is employee happiness at the workplace," she said;

Give staff "happiness injections" to motivate them when the job threatens to overwhelm them. These may take the form of support services, perks or efforts to make work more satisfying;

This process can sound manipulative, but it benefits the workers and the company: people feel good about themselves because they feel valued by their employer;

Celebrating wins, no matter how small, can help raise team spirit and lift morale; and

Companies with happy employees are likely to be rewarded with increased productivity, lower absentee rates, contained recruitment costs and an easy flow of ideas.