Interview with a Chief Happiness

The focus on well-being and job happiness in organizations is becoming increasingly prominent. Some organizations are even appointing a Chief Happiness Officer for this purpose. What does this role actually entail and why is it so crucial to a company’s success?

Although the title of Chief Happiness Officer may be officially assigned to one person, it is essentially a role that can be filled by several professionals. HR managers, prevention consultants and even individual employees can all act as work happiness ambassadors, of course. It’s not just about taking initiatives, but more importantly about influencing company culture for the better.

In an interview with Ellen Van Hoegaerden, Griet Deca discussed the essence of the role of a Chief Happiness Officer and how it contributes to a culture of well-being and productivity in the workplace.

What does the role of chief happiness officer bring to an organization?

“Before it becomes a job title, it is indeed a role. One that every employee should be able, willing and able to take on. To achieve optimal performance within that role, you have to build bridges. A lot of “well-being information” is fragmented: HR has data, the prevention advisor has certain information, the confidential advisor picks up a lot… A chief happiness has to let those data talk to each other so that you get an overall picture. That’s how you get to sustainable work happiness. That’s knowing what to do, but also: what are we already doing? That, to me, is where that great added value of a chief happiness lies, which is not so much taking initiatives but rather acting on the corporate culture.”

How do you measure the impact of happiness initiatives in the workplace?

“Preferably with a pulse measurement. You don’t measure happiness with annual evaluation interviews or a five-year psychosocial risk analysis alone. Because happiness is an experience in the moment. With a pulse measurement you keep your finger on the pulse. Thanks to short, regular measurements, you map out happiness initiatives: how do you feel? Are you still happy with your job content? This can be done systematically, for example via a weekly mini-questionnaire, or informally, from person to person. Of course, capturing those emotions in the moment can be difficult. That’s why you can also look at how many people participate in an initiative, for example, how much is being talked about…. Or vice versa: what happens if we do nothing?”

What impact does digitalization and data have on job happiness?

“In terms of digital well-being, your people have to be able and willing to go along with further digitalization. That way you can offer them the psychological safety to learn to deal with it together when it does scare them off. In addition, scientific research on job happiness cannot do without data. But what do figures say about absenteeism, for example? How many people are sitting at home due to stress, or pregnancy, workplace accidents…? Make sure you grab the right data, but also take the time to interpret it properly. Finally, I would also argue not to strike out into a data-driven organization. Let’s collect data, but talking to people to get the context clear remains fundamental.”