Work happiness is more important than ever, employees no longer stay with the same employer their entire lives. In addition, the mental health of employees is an important topic of discussion in today's society. Therefore, as an employer, do not fall behind, but invest in work happiness and choose an approach that works. In this article we list the 4 best and most popular work happiness models in a row.
One of the latest international work happiness models is JobAligner's Work Happiness Formula. Characteristic of this Work happiness model is that both the employer and the employee work on improving work happiness throughout the year. Work happiness is therefore really a top priority, and everyone can make their voice heard. JobAligner developed an integrated Work Happiness Formula that is distributed via an innovative work happiness app. A scientifically based Work happiness model that can be put into use within 10 working days and is fully tailored to the organization and internal challenges of the customer.
This Work happiness model goes much further than all existing Work happiness models. JobAligner not only focuses on Work happiness as such, but also simultaneously integrates themes such as: leadership, organizational development, and personal growth into the Work happiness model. That is why we speak of an Integrated Work Happiness Formula.
Positive psychology, self-reflection and a sense of inclusivity underlie JobAligner's Work Happiness Formula. Every client receives their own customized work happiness app that is delivered in their corporate identity. The app consists of five work happiness modules, namely: its own community, a DNA blueprint, a work happiness route, real-time analytics and customized leadership programs.
To strengthen the feeling of inclusivity, there is an online Community for everyone in the company (module 1). Sharing positive messages improves the working atmosphere and creates solidarity and connection. The community also includes features such as a date picker and polls, so that real-time polls can be conducted within the company.
Under DNA blueprint (module 2), you will find all relevant information about the organization. Every employee thus becomes familiar with the vision, mission, all team members, testimonials, etc. of his or her organization. The DNA module is also a great feature for attracting new employees who can onboard easily.
In the Work Happiness Route (module 3), consisting of 50 work happiness themes, managers and employees answer 1 to 4 questions every week. This means that work happiness is always top of mind for every employee. The questions challenge employees to reflect on themselves, self-awareness is the basis of personal development and growth.
All answers are periodically analyzed via (module 4) Analytics. The Work happiness statistics are very detailed and provide a good basis for identifying problems.
Finally, Leadership programs (module 5) are also included in this model. Managers receive good and practical advice to increase work happiness. Relevant matters relating to leadership and organizational development are also included.
It was Google who introduced the Heart Model in 2010. This model is not specifically designed for work happiness , but as a model to measure user experience. In 2024, various HR specialists in the Netherlands have put their own spin on this model. The individual letters have been given a completely different meaning and the HEART model is now used specifically as a Work happiness model .
Let's consider the original HEART model for work happiness. HEART is used as an acronym and stands for: Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention and Task Success.
The 'H' for Happiness focuses on the emotional state of the employee and how happy he or she feels. Among other things, it is measured how satisfied the employee is with his or her working environment.
The letter 'E' for 'commitment' mainly focuses on how much effort an employee shows. In addition, it is also examined how much connection an employee experiences with the work he or she performs.
The 'A' of adaptation looks at how an employee deals with new processes, rules and technologies. It measures how successful the employee is when small or large changes take place in an organization.
The 'R' for 'retention' measures how successful a company is in retaining talented employees. It makes it clear how loyal employees are to their company.
The last letter of the HEART Work happiness model looks at how well employees perform their daily tasks. And whether they take responsibility for the role they perform.
All in all, the original HEART model for Work happiness is a good model. There are a few negatives that require attention. Almost all points of this Work happiness model are focused on the employee and not on the employer. There are also many things that cannot be measured properly because they are subjective. It is therefore better to combine open questions with closed questions, so that data and analyzes can be used for greater Work happiness.
The PERK Work happiness model is another popular Work happiness model that is used to improve the Work happiness of employees and employers. This framework is designed to provide a simple way to implement changes that increase work happiness. Unlike the HEART model, this model is not clear about who designed it. It is clear what 'PERK' stands for in the 'PERK Model'. The individual letters stand for: Purpose, Engagement, Recognition and Kindness.
The 'P' stands for Purpose. It is important for an employee that the performance of his or her daily work is closely aligned with his or her most important personal values. Do things you love and believe in. Purpose also means that employees want to know how their work contributes to the bigger picture and the purpose of the organization.
The 'E' stands for Engagement and is about the emotional involvement in the work. Consider things such as: enjoying your work, autonomy and the personal development of the employee. Just like with the HEART work happiness model, engagement also plays a major role in this model. Both models use this letter in the same way. Engaged employees generally perform better at their jobs and are often more productive.
The 'R' stands for Resilience, or the personal resilience of the employee. The extent to which an employee can deal with setbacks determines the experience of his or her Work happiness?
The letter 'K' of Kindness mainly focuses on creating a 'warm and pleasant' workplace. In other words, a place where employees are treated with respect and where the well-being of employees comes first. And just as important, kindness is also about friendliness between colleagues.
In general, the PERK Work Happiness Model is also a good formula that can help improve Work happiness. There are also some critical comments here because the focus is mainly on the employees. In addition, the simplicity of this Work happiness model can not only be an advantage, but also a disadvantage. In practice, many of the elements of the PERK model and therefore of Work happiness are a lot more nuanced.
The Performance Happiness Model is based on scientific research from the iOpener Institute of Oxford. Here again, several pillars emerge that promote work happiness. Here too, letters are used, better known as the 5Cs, which represent the meaning of the Work happiness model. It concerns: Contribution, Conviction, Culture, Commitment and Confidence.
As with many other models of Work happiness, here too the extent to which the employee feels that his or her efforts contribute to the bigger picture and the extent to which his or her efforts matter.
Self-confidence helps the employee to feel secure within the company. In addition, it also helps the employee make difficult decisions and take on tasks that are normally experienced as difficult.
When an employee works from conviction, he or she knows what and why his or her tasks are performed. If work slows down for a while, he or she will get back on track more easily.
Workplace culture is an important part of work happiness. When people feel that there is support from the work environment, they are more likely to ask for help when things are not going well. The extent to which employees feel at home within the organization has a major influence on the extent to which they feel happy at work.
Dedication looks at how much effort an employee shows for the job he or she performs. Commitment often increases when an employee experiences a sense of inclusivity. When an employee feels that he or she is doing something worthwhile, this results in interest and dedication to the work. And this strengthens the personal bond with the employer.
This model also has some drawbacks. A major drawback, which we have also seen with the other work happiness models, is that this model focuses almost exclusively on the employee. In addition, certain parts of this model are difficult to measure.
Every employer naturally wants his or her organization to perform well. One of the most important components of a high-performing team is work happiness. Although improving work happiness is of course easier said than done.
With these 4 work happiness models we offer you something to hold on to so that you can really start working on the work happiness of your team. JobAligner has the most comprehensive and effective Work happiness model, which they have tested at various organizations with very positive results.
