Dive Brief:
- Half of workers surveyed for a Globant report said they're embarrassed they don't know their colleagues' names, and 62% said they want to strengthen their relationships in the workplace.
- The report also showed that workers don't think employers acknowledge their contributions, with the overwhelming majority (97%) believing it's important to have their strengths recognized, and 24% revealing that they left their last job because they felt unappreciated.
- Among other things, Globant co-founder and CTO Guibert Englebienne said employers facing such issues may need to consider a culture transformation.
Dive Insight:
Employees in the Globant report may be on to something in noting that they want to know their co-workers better. According to a three-year study by Martin Boult, senior director of professional services and international training at The Myers-Briggs Company, good relationships with co-workers contribute to employees' well-being.
But while good relationships with co-workers might make some employees happy, others might be driven by an accomplishment or something else. Experts say that because happiness is subjective, employers should help workers find and achieve their own idea of happiness. "People fluctuate in their levels of happiness within short periods of time, and it's easily influenced by different sources in a person's life," Vivian A. Woo, Culture Amp's senior people science analyst, told HR Dive via email for a previous article. "This is why organizations focus on employee engagement. It's influenced by aspects that are within their control."
Employee recognition factors into happiness at work, as well. Recognition scores high among workers on what contributes to job satisfaction in many studies. In addition, a Deloitte report concluded that recognition is not just a series of nice-to-do gestures toward employees but also can be an effective recruitment and retention tool for employers.