More than two thirds (68.9 per cent) of workers say that they are made happy by goodwill gestures from their colleagues and a further 84.2 per cent state that they return the favour.
This is according to new research from CV-Library, which also finds that 91.9 per cent believe that these gestures help them to build relationships with co-workers.
The survey, which explored the attitudes of over 1,100 UK workers, found that the majority of employees (90.5 per cent) believe that these gestures make the workplace a more enjoyable place to be. Workers place support (58.6 per cent) and making a cup of tea of coffee (43.3 per cent) as the two best gestures that make them happy.
Being recognised and complimented for their work (32.7 per cent) and being offered constructive feedback on their work (28.2 per cent) are also good ways to keep the office happy.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library thinks that work can be extremely stressful, but it’s clear from the findings that small goodwill gestures can help to alleviate pressures and brighten an employees’ working day.
Biggins adds, ‘Whether that’s lending a helping hand, offering a shoulder to cry on or simply making a colleague a cup of tea; these acts of goodwill can go some way to making an employee feel happier and more confident about tackling their day-to-day workload. Encouraging this culture in your workplace can help to boost morale, improve staff wellbeing and ultimately, help with overall productivity.’
Biggins concludes, ‘As we’re now entering the festive season, it’s a great time to think about what more you could be doing for your employees and the best practice attitude and behaviours that you should be promoting. We all appreciate these kind acts when they happen to us, so why not take the steps to brighten your workers’ day this December: Christmas is all about giving, after all!’
Further reading on employee happiness
