Companies are constantly looking for ways to improve the productivity and retention of their employees. While a few years ago, the focus was on measuring job satisfaction and commitment, today, it is happiness in the workplace that concerns employers.

This is good news for employees. However, companies need to know how to improve their staffs’ well-being! Beyond salary and working conditions, people are mostly looking for a job that will bring them recognition, upskilling, a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment. In fact, according to a recent analysis conducted by Léger on happiness at work, salary ranks very low on the list of factors that influence happiness; it actually scored fifth place out of six.

This is why at Braque, we have set up a Wellness Committee, made up of employees and management. It’s mission? To take the pulse of the agency and implement initiatives to improve happiness at work.

Through this approach, Braque wants to stoke the motivation of our employees, making each of them feel supported on a professional and personal level.

Here are our committee’s four guiding principles for improving well-being at work. We hope they will inspire you to develop your own happiness initiatives with your colleagues. You may even be interested in joining our team!

Take time to move and encourage healthy lifestyles

The benefits of exercise on mental and physical health are well-known. However, between work and daily obligations, it is not always easy to take a break to get moving. Why not integrate a sports session into your employees’ work schedules?

For over a year now, we have been offering weekly training sessions and yoga classes that employees can take virtually from the comfort of their own homes or our office overlooking the Old Port of Montréal. We have also provided our colleagues with exercise equipment, such as resistance bands and elastics, so they can train at home and replicate the workouts when it’s most convenient for them.

We are also looking at adding other initiatives, such as stress management workshops, chair massage sessions, and talks given by health experts, in the coming months.

Never forget that health is as much physical as it is psychological!

Encourage employees to speak up and strive for work-life balance

All managers want to have a clear picture of their team’s well-being. To do so, they need to cultivate a work environment based on trust. Employees need a space where they feel they have the opportunity to express themselves by being truly heard—without judgment.

At Braque, we have put in place two major initiatives to encourage listening and sharing. For regular feedback, we use the Officevibe app. This is a tool that allows us to conduct weekly surveys with our colleagues (anonymously!) to ask them about their stress levels, well-being and workload. This is an opportunity for everyone to express their needs and irritants in their daily lives.

All of our managers also hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings with their respective teams to assess how everyone is doing with their tasks and projects. In addition, they schedule one-on-one meetings during which they can discuss each employee’s professional development as well as their well-being at work and in their personal lives.

Transparency is essential to the development of trustworthy relationships between employees and management. This is why we organize a monthly team meeting in which the agency’s director honestly shares the organization’s financial statements, progress of ongoing projects, each month’s successes, and challenges to overcome. Braque also takes the opportunity to consult employees on certain issues, which makes them feel involved in the decision-making process.

Provide employees with the opportunity to learn, develop and grow within the company

If employers want their teams to be loyal, they need to show them that they envision them in the future of the company. It’s important to empower employees and support them in the direction they want to take their careers.

At Braque, each employee has their own training program developed according to their interests and professional objectives. Our Wellness Committee also organizes conferences, training sessions and workshops for upskilling. The committee is working hard to put in place even more initiatives in the coming months, such as hosting speakers and organizing lunch-and-learn events.

We focus a lot on professional development and internal mobility. We have countless colleagues who have worked their way up through the ranks of the agency to reach management positions. Employees must be able to see a future in the company to incite them to stay!

Focus on other types of employee development

According to Pierre Côté, creator of the Léger Workplace Happiness Index, recognition is the third most important factor for happiness at work, just after self-actualization and work relationships. However, most Quebecers give recognition a very low score.

People want to feel that they are important and that their work is appreciated and recognized. How else can they develop a sense of belonging to their employers?

Whether it is recognition between colleagues or between managers and theiremployees, expressing gratitude to one’s peers on a daily basis is key. At Braque, we send out multiple recognition messages, whether by email, on Officevibe, on Teams or even in a “shout-out” in front of all employees. Such marks of appreciation make a real difference and contribute to the development of a positive culture at the agency.

In sum, we believe that well-being at work requires an environment in which everyone feels listened to and fulfille. They should enjoy working and not consider it the “daily grind.” Having a wellness committee gives us the tools to monitor our colleagues’ needs and innovate by continually looking for new ways to make them happier at work.

Want to learn more about our working conditions or job openings? Contact a member of our team today!