Is Employee Happiness the Same as Satisfaction? Let's Discuss How to Define and Measure It

Defining and Measuring Employee Happiness

Employee happiness is becoming the most concerning issue raised by employers and HR professionals. So, how do you define and measure employee happiness? Is it the same as employee satisfaction?

As far as I know, there is no clear definition of employee happiness. Happiness often refers to personal feelings; therefore, it’s hard to measure. However, periodical surveys with measurable questionnaires can indicate quite reliably how much employees feel happy at work.

In my opinion, employee satisfaction or job satisfaction is the level of an employee’s contentment and happiness with their work, organizational culture, environment, and compensation. In other words, employee satisfaction is affected by the organization, while employee happiness requires happiness in personal life as well. An ideal job and work conditions can guarantee job satisfaction, but how employees think and enjoy their work is the factor that brings happiness at work.

How do you think about it? Please share your point of view in the comments below.

Understanding Employee Contentment

Employee contentment is the key that needs to be understood and studied. However, it is observed that contentment has no end. Everybody wants more in life. Employers want more profit from their business, and employees want more benefits and facilities from the organization, and that level is never reached. Invariably, it will be a balance of give-and-take attitude that is worked out at professional levels.

Concerns towards happiness are something very close to employees' personal lives. But work/job is a limited area where employers can extend all support to provide contentment. Still, happiness remains a very personal issue.

Organizational Culture and Job Satisfaction

Speaking about organizational culture and job satisfaction, they go hand in hand to enhance employee-employer relations amicably and leverage work-life balance. Still, it is very difficult to gauge the levels of happiness at a personal level. As regards any organization, it may extend all of its welfare measures to the extent of keeping employees happy until they work and produce the desired output for the employer.

Engaged employees remain satisfied as long as their needs are fulfilled. Employers remain content with their employees as long as they give their best and leverage those who are ready to give their next best in business. After all, it's business, and every person views it from one and only one angle - that is happiness, i.e., being satisfied at work as well as at home.