Employee happiness is something that all managers ought to be focused on. According to Emotional Intelligence expert and Speaker Travis Bradberry, compared to unhappy employees, happy employees are:

• 36% more motivated,
• have 6 times more energy,
• and are twice as productive as other employees

Sure, they may say they’re happy when asked about their job satisfaction but even the friendliest, most approachable bosses may not be getting the whole truth from their people. To evaluate if your employees are truly happy you have to focus more on their actions, and less on their words. Here are 3 important indicators that you’re leading happy employees:

1. Do you  want to go for a drink with those people in Marketing after work or would you rather have a root canal?

Social connections are one of the main qualities that contribute to sustained happiness says The Happiness Advantage author and Speaker Shawn Achor.  So employees who cultivate a social network at the office are more likely to be happier than those who keep their co-workers at a distance. A great way to gauge the strength of employees’ connections is to hold casual, voluntary after-work functions and see who attends. Those who show up are more likely to view it as a social gathering rather than a work event, indicating that they view their co-workers as friends and not simply colleagues.

2. Are you really pleased Pat received that Sales Award or are you considering getting a Voodoo doll?

Happy employees want to see others succeed asserts Positive Communication Expert and Speaker Michelle Gielan. They don’t feel threatened by their colleagues’ achievements and recognize that the success of one is the success of all (including your company’s bottom line).

3. Do you bounce back quickly or are you still getting over The Client-Drinking Straw-Ham Sandwich Incident of  ’06?

Happy employees look at set-back as temporary says Psychologist and Wellness Speaker Dr. Martin Seligman. Contented people believe that negative circumstances are fleeting and a set-back at work is simply a passing matter. They also bounce back quickly because they don’t shoulder all the blame for a particular set-back – they acknowledge it and choose to look at it as a challenge to try harder.

So clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth! But not too loudly – you don’t want to startle Janice across the hall.