Free beer on Fridays, ping pong breaks and knitting clubs.
Sounds like an activity list from a cruise ship, or maybe the schedule pulled out of a retiree’s planner. Nope, these are the perks that some lucky individuals enjoy on the job every day. Fortune magazine recently released their annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For, compiled using survey information from the employees themselves. The companies are ranked based on worker responses to questions regarding job satisfaction, benefits programs and management.
It’s not just the employees that reap the rewards of “best company” practices, but studies have revealed that keeping the workers happy results in a more profitable business overall. The Happiness Advantage author, Shawn Achor, writes in his book that happy employees outperform their unhappy coworkers in terms of energy, productivity and healthcare costs. The pattern can be seen across industries, with optimistic sales people selling 37% more and upbeat doctors making 50% more accurate diagnoses.
The insurance company, Aflac, made the list with its on-site child care program and generous spa treatments, and Google, a seasoned veteran, supports its laid-back, often whimsical, office culture by saying, “If you infuse fun into the work environment, you will have more engaged employees, greater job satisfaction, increased productivity and a brighter place to be.”
Employers could take a lesson or two from these happy companies. Workers who love their jobs treat customers better and are loyal to their companies. Investors know this, and they invest in companies with pampered employees because the returns are twice as high as other companies. Money may not get you happiness, but happiness sure does get you money.
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