Employee happiness is becoming a key focus for organizations of all sizes and industries. Employers gradually realize that happy employees make teams that are committed, motivated, and high-performing. This increasing value of workplace happiness has changed the conventional HR strategy. And it has led to the development of a new role: the Chief Happiness Officer (CHO).
So, who is a Chief Happiness Officer? What is their role in the organization, and how are they different from HR? Let's know everything in this podcast with guest speaker Henry Stewart.
Henry says that the role of a CHO is not just limited to bringing in games or throwing after-work parties. If employees aren't self motivated at work, it won't make a happy environment. It's all about establishing an environment that allows individuals to be happy at work.
Micromanagement, being told what to do, and blaming cultures are all things that people dislike. Doing something they are excellent at, having the flexibility, having a manager who coaches, a no-blame culture are all things that make employees happy and content. The Chief Happiness Officer's job is to make sure that all of these things are in place and consistently improved.
About The Speaker
Henry Stewart is the founder and CHO at Happy Ltd. Happy have been listed as one of the top 20 workplaces in the UK for five successive years (Financial Times/Great Place to Work Institute), was voted the best in the UK for customer service (by Management Today), the small business with the most positive impact on society (Business in the Community) and rated as one of the world's most democratic workplaces.
Henry was listed in the Guru Radar of the Thinkers50 list of the top 50 business thinkers worldwide. "Henry is one of the thinkers who we believe will shape the future of business", explains Stuart Crainer, compiler of the Thinkers 50 list of business gurus. Outside of work, Henry is a fervent believer in local, comprehensive education. He loves cycling and, in 2016, completed the Haute Route - 7 days in the Alps tackling 3 Tour de France Cols a day.
Connect with Henry on Linkedin
Show Notes
(01:08) Henry’s journey in the corporate world.
(01:28) About Happy Ltd.
(03:18) What makes a happy workplace?
(04:28) What does a Chief Happiness Officer do that an HR doesn’t?
(08:24) About CHO’s challenges in improving employee engagement.
(12:45) Does a CHO require special certification?
(13:27) Should organizations hire a full-time Chief Happiness Officer or focus on HR management instead?
(15:12) Suggestions to HRs listening to our podcast.
