How to Measure Employee Happiness: Proven Strategies, Methods and Tools

Today employee happiness has become more than just a feel-good concept—it’s a crucial driver of organizational success. Businesses that prioritize happiness in the workplace consistently report better performance, higher retention, and increased innovation.  

But here's the challenge: while companies understand its importance, many still struggle with how to measure employee happiness effectively and implement actionable improvements.  

With workplace happiness influencing everything from engagement to productivity, it’s time to decode what truly makes employees happy and explore proven strategies to both measure employee happiness and nurture it sustainably.

In this guide, we will walk you through measuring employee happiness, using tools like employee happiness surveys and the employee happiness index, and show how organizations can turn these insights into meaningful change. 

What is employee happiness? 

Kebahagiaan karyawan menunjukkan kepuasan secara keseluruhan dan kesesuaian antara harapan dari pekerjaan dengan persepsi aktual.  

Employees' happiness lies at the intersection of involvement and satisfaction. This is a quality of employee experience that is higher than employee satisfaction. It is one of the building blocks for attracting employees. Let's look at this question in more detail! 

Satisfied employees 😌 perform well in their roles and have few complaints, but they can still explore other opportunities if presented with the options. The employees involved, in turn, regularly do more in their tasks than is usually required. They personally invest in the development of the company.  

Loyalty to the business of such employees is very high. To reach this level, the organization needs the happiness of employees. 

Employee happiness vs. job satisfaction 

Employee happiness has tended to be talked about much less than job satisfaction in the business world. Therefore, there might be some confusion between these terms.

Besides, a comparable rarity of the term 'employee happiness' makes it seem like something difficult or impossible to achieve. However, this is not quite true. 

Pertama-tama, mari kita tarik garis batas antara kepuasan kerja dan kebahagiaan karyawan untuk selamanya. 

Employee happiness is often described as a constant positive attitude towards one's work. Besides, employee happiness also finds its representation in a strong motivation to solve problems rather than complain, willingly accept constructive criticism and improve one's knowledge and skills. 
 
Satisfaction, as it is, means fulfillment and enjoyment a person drives from something. Job satisfaction, in its turn, is a measure of employee contentment with the job. This implies that the employees are satisfied at work as the work meets the expectations. 

Ciri-ciri utama yang berbeda antara kedua pengertian ini cukup jelas; namun, keduanya sering disalahpahami oleh para pemberi kerja: 

• Kepuasan selalu merupakan hasil dari sesuatu yang terpenuhi - tugas yang diselesaikan atau pencapaian yang diraih. Sebaliknya, kebahagiaan adalah keadaan yang lebih permanen yang berkembang secara bertahap. 
• Tampaknya kepuasan kerja karyawan sebagian besar dikendalikan oleh pemberi kerja karena sebagian besar tergantung pada penghargaan, pengakuan, dan keseimbangan kehidupan kerja. Sementara kebahagiaan karyawan tergantung pada karyawan itu sendiri. 
• Studies proved that happy employees are 13% more productive. At the same time, there is very little correlation between job satisfaction and productivity; 
• Kebahagiaan di tempat kerja selalu merupakan gagasan yang lebih luas yang mencakup penuh energi, terlibat, berkomitmen, dan yang lebih penting lagi, puas. 

Ada ratusan angka dalam berbagai laporan yang didokumentasikan secara menyeluruh yang mencoba mensintesis sisi paling praktis dan konkret dari kebahagiaan dan keterlibatan karyawan. Namun, tidak ada definisi hitam dan putih di sini. 

Terlepas dari ambiguitas istilah-istilah tersebut, perusahaan dan pemberi kerja dapat memperjelas situasi dengan mengumpulkan dan menggabungkan ilmu perilaku manusia yang dapat memberikan penjelasan lebih lanjut tentang "mengapa" dan "bagaimana" kebahagiaan bekerja bagi karyawan mereka secara khusus. 

Ways to create happiness in the workplace 

Buatlah karyawan, penjualan, saluran, jaringan, dan tim Anda senang dengan tiga strategi ampuh ini. 

1. Memotivasi baik secara eksternal maupun internal 

‘Happiness Advantage’ author Shawn Achor describes happiness as “the joy we feel when striving for our potential.” This is squarely the preserve of intrinsic motivation - the inner impulses, talents, and passions that define our personalities and push us to chase targets that are often deeply personal. 

Otonomi (kebebasan untuk berpikir-bekerja-menjadi), penguasaan atas domain atau keterampilan yang diminati, dan tujuan atau arah yang menyeluruh dalam hidup adalah tiga motivasi intrinsik utama dalam diri sebagian besar manusia. 

Tujuan intrinsik biasanya bertindak sebagai imbalannya, dan kita mengejarnya semata-mata untuk kepuasan yang diberikannya, tanpa terlalu peduli dengan 'apa yang dipikirkan orang lain'. Penelitian telah menunjukkan kepada kita bagaimana motif intrinsik dapat berdampak 3X lipat lebih besar terhadap tingkat keterlibatan karyawan daripada motif ekstrinsik. 

Hal ini membuat 'pemicu yang didorong oleh diri sendiri untuk mencapai tingkat keunggulan yang tinggi' ini menjadi alat yang sangat ampuh dan sebagian besar belum dieksplorasi untuk bisnis ketika harus meningkatkan taruhan dan mengambil lompatan ke wilayah yang tidak diketahui tanpa prioritas atau tolok ukur untuk panduan. 

Para pemimpin yang bijak memberikan 'ruang' bagi individu untuk melakukan lompatan-lompatan tersebut. Mereka menyelaraskan tempat kerja dan model insentif mereka untuk memastikan tumpang tindih semaksimal mungkin antara pendorong intrinsik individu dan tujuan bisnis yang lebih besar untuk mendorong yang terakhir. 

According to a McKinsey study, intrinsically motivated employees exhibit 46% higher levels of job satisfaction and 32% greater levels of commitment to their jobs. 

Meskipun demikian, tidak dapat dipungkiri bahwa uang kuno terus 'membeli kebahagiaan' setiap hari bagi sebagian besar dari kita. Motivasi eksternal (ekstrinsik) seperti uang tunai, penghargaan sosial, dan kesenangan materialistis - tetap menjadi pendorong perilaku 'menguntungkan' dan menjadi alat favorit bagi para pemimpin untuk mengajak dan memberi insentif kepada orang-orang. 

2. Hadiah secara instan dan berkesan 

Peningkatan pendapatan tahunan tiga kali lebih tinggi pada tim dengan sistem insentif yang terukur dibandingkan dengan tim yang tidak memiliki model motivasi serupa. 

There’s an ancient saying, “Pay the worker his dues before his sweat has dried up.” Mankind has known for ages that the joy of a reward is greatest when it exchanges hands quickly. The longer the delay, the more is lost–especially from the giver's perspective. 

Semangat kerja menurun, momentum berkurang, ketidakpuasan muncul. Para pemimpin hanya memiliki sedikit hal yang berharga untuk ditunjukkan atas semua pekerjaan luar biasa yang telah dilakukan dalam melatih, melibatkan, dan memberi insentif. Kebalikannya juga sama benarnya. 

 Memastikan bahwa penghargaan Anda bersifat instan, sepadan (yaitu sesuai dengan besarnya pencapaian), dan dipersonalisasi (sesuai dengan kepribadian dan daftar keinginan penerima) dapat menjadi cara yang mudah dan ampuh untuk mendapatkan yang terbaik dari karyawan. 

3. Rancang tempat kerja yang terhubung 

Obrolan ringan yang penuh semangat dan umpan balik yang penting. Pertukaran ide dan kiat yang mengalir bebas. Dorongan dan peringatan intuitif dari rekan kerja. Pintu dan jendela ucapan terima kasih yang dibagikan secara diam-diam dan secara terbuka membuat hari kerja menjadi hangat dan bermanfaat. 

Karyawan, saluran, dan tim yang diperluas mengevangelisasi merek di media sosial. Lengketnya para pekerja yang loyal berarti rendahnya tingkat pergantian karyawan. 'Cerita orang-orang' yang menjadi viral menciptakan 'Tempat Kerja yang Luar Biasa'. Budaya penghargaan melampaui 'uang tunai non-personal' dengan gerakan yang lebih berkesan. 

Alur kerja yang benar-benar terhubung tidak sulit untuk dikenali, seperti halnya kebahagiaan yang mereka hasilkan, yang mudah dideteksi. 

Amongst features that create an emotionally fulfilling place of work, according to this report, are: 

• Memiliki gambaran yang jelas tentang perjalanan bisnis. 
• Dihargai atas pendapat dan keterampilan seseorang. 
• Apresiasi - dalam bentuk pengakuan dan penghargaan - yang membalas kontribusi dan pencapaian. 

Namun, perlu diingat bahwa untuk menuai keajaiban, Anda harus melakukan upaya rutin untuk menanamkan dan melembagakan 'rasa memiliki' ke dalam serat budaya dan DNA tempat kerja Anda. 

4. Prioritize work-life balance 

To start increasing the level of employee happiness, it is worth improving the balance between work and personal life because tired employees are more likely to become unmotivated and burn out faster.

Unfortunately, an imbalance between the workplace and personal life has a destructive outcome for the employees and considerable financial losses for the employers. Higher employee turnover reduced productivity, and low engagement levels, are just a few of the results unsuitable both for businesses and employees themselves. 

According to Inc, unfortunately, 66% of full-time employees in America do not have a work-life balance, in contrast to an astonishing 84% of freelancers who are happy with their lifestyle. 

5. Be transparent and honest 

Untuk membangun budaya perusahaan yang solid, Anda membutuhkan kepercayaan di dalam perusahaan. Karyawan ingin mengetahui bahwa pemimpin mereka adalah orang yang memahami masalah mereka karena mereka juga pernah atau terus mengalaminya. 

When leaders are honest and open to their employees, there is sincere and genuine communication and complete trust. Unfortunately, a recent Interact/Harris Poll proved that 91% of employees believe their leaders to have at least some kind of communication skills lack.

Besides, one more vital factor to consider is a lack of trust. The Edelman Trust Barometer showed that 1 in 3 employees doesn’t trust their employers, while others have minor trust issues. 

6. Menciptakan lingkungan kerja yang positif 

Ketika karyawan bekerja sebagai satu tim yang terkoordinasi dengan baik, berjuang untuk mencapai tujuan bersama yang tinggi, perusahaan akan maju, tumbuh lebih kuat, dan berkembang. Namun, misalkan karyawan mudah tersinggung, bermusuhan satu sama lain, sering berkonflik, dan tidak mau menginvestasikan upaya untuk mencapai tujuan bersama. Dalam hal ini, hal ini pasti mempengaruhi hasil dan memperburuk KPI perusahaan. 

According to the evidence gained in course of major long-term study, companies with the best corporate cultures grew 682 percent in revenue. Typically, for these companies, encouragement of all-around leadership initiatives and high appreciation of their employees, and owners, are key elements of the corporate culture. Furthermore, the recipe is quite simple - use recognition and rewards to highlight people who display the right behaviors, actions, and performance. 

7. Foster a culture of gratitude 

You can boost employee morale by showing them how valuable their efforts are to you through words and actions of gratitude. After all, even small things like that can make a big difference to your employees. 

Unfortunately, according to a Gallup poll, only 14 % of employees worldwide are engaged at work. The remaining 86 % don’t feel valued or appreciated and don’t feel that their work is recognized. 

8. Offer benefits beyond the basics 

Many businesses offer employee benefits, and many employees expect them to reward employees with more than just money. Of course, few people will refuse a salary increase. But not all problems can be solved with money, especially regarding physical and mental well-being. In this case, an alternative solution will work much better. 

When an employee does a good job, you can reward them with additional vacation, tickets for concerts or sports matches, or gift certificates. Thus, according to a recent survey, 79% of millennials regard an increase in rewards as a factor that would increase their loyalty to an employer to some extent. 

Oleh karena itu, program tunjangan yang baik membantu Anda menarik dan mempertahankan karyawan terbaik, menghasilkan pekerja yang lebih bahagia dan produktif, dan pada akhirnya dapat membantu bisnis Anda berkembang. 

9. Empower professional growth 

Employees want to learn, evolve, and feel that they are progressing. Offering clear career paths, access to training, mentorship programs, and stretch projects keeps teams inspired. 

A lack of growth opportunities is one of the top reasons people leave jobs. Investing in development helps both retention and workplace happiness, while also giving clear metrics to measure employee happiness through satisfaction scores and career progression tracking. 

10. Support mental health and well-being 

Modern employees expect more than just gym discounts—they want real mental health support. Counseling access, stress management workshops, and digital wellness apps can create lasting change. 

Happier employees take fewer sick days and remain more productive. 

11. Conduct regular employee happiness surveys 

You can't improve what you don't measure. Regular employee happiness surveys provide quantifiable insights into how employees feel, what motivates them, and where to improve. 

These tools offer direct ways to track the employee happiness index, enabling data-backed changes that reflect real employee sentiment. It's one of the most effective answers to the question: how to measure employee happiness. 

12. Recognize purpose-driven work 

When people understand how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture, their sense of purpose grows—and with it, their happiness. 

Leaders should communicate how individual roles align with company impact, especially in mission-driven industries. This alignment not only uplifts morale but serves as a strong parameter to measure employee happiness based on engagement levels. 

13. Facilitate meaningful one-on-ones 

One-on-one meetings shouldn't be checklist routines. Instead, make them spaces for mentorship, feedback, and empathy. 

Consistent, meaningful check-ins help employees feel heard, supported, and valued. When designed thoughtfully, they provide anecdotal insights into measuring employee happiness beyond traditional surveys. 

14. Celebrate milestones and achievements 

Birthdays, work anniversaries, and project completions deserve celebration. Recognizing these moments builds community and fosters pride. 

These celebrations can be tracked and personalized, offering both joy and touchpoints to measure employee happiness in ways that are emotionally significant and impactful. 

15. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition 

Recognition doesn’t have to come from the top down. Platforms that enable colleagues to praise one another create a culture of inclusion and support. Peer-to-peer recognition builds camaraderie and spreads positivity.  

Summary of key modules to use in Empuls: 

How to measure employee happiness while identifying unhappiness? 

How to measure the happiness of employees, then? This is the central question of all caring company leaders. Foremost, measuring happiness at work can be pretty tricky, but it is essential always to keep trying. Over time, it will become clear what indicators of employee happiness are worth paying attention to. This will make the process more intuitive and easier. 

Di bawah ini adalah metode dan pendekatan terbaik untuk mengukur kebahagiaan di tempat kerja. 

1. Survei kebahagiaan karyawan 

Special surveys can be used to identify the level of happiness of employees. They can also be used to assess the level of employee satisfaction with their role and their level of involvement in the company and overall well-being.

After collecting data with their help, it is easy to identify any potential problems and critical areas for improving the condition of employees. 

Since employees may change periodically, such employee happiness and engagement surveys should be conducted regularly. Alternatively, you can send surveys throughout the company several times a year. For more accurate results, combining the survey with other methods of measuring happiness is recommended. 

2. Kesempatan umpan balik karyawan secara anonim 

Seeking your employees' feedback is essential for efficient business functioning. Unfortunately, according to recent research, 36% of employees work at a company that doesn't have a feedback program in place, while 37% report that their workplace either doesn't have an open-door policy or it has one, but it isn't working properly. 

Hal ini membuat karyawan sulit untuk memberikan umpan balik kepada pimpinan dan membuat mereka berpikir bahwa pendapat mereka tidak dihargai. Kebahagiaan karyawan secara signifikan terkait dengan perasaan penting dan berguna di tempat kerja mereka. 

Furthermore, the ultimate aim of any employee feedback is for an employer to discover the state of their workplace culture and where they're succeeding or failing in terms of engagement and morale. 

3. Umpan balik 1 lawan 1 dan 2 arah yang sering 

One-on-one interviews and performance tests help contextualize your employees' responses to surveys. With the help of interviews, you can get good employee feedback. According to SHRM research, peer-to-peer recognition is 35.7% more likely to impact financial results than manager-only recognition positively. Still, a personal conversation with each of them has additional benefits in the fight for colleagues' happiness. 

Sebaiknya lakukan percakapan seperti itu setiap dua minggu sekali. Tentu saja, untuk menyisihkan waktu untuk hal ini, Anda harus meninjau jadwal kerja Anda, tetapi contoh percakapan selama 30 menit bisa menjadi awal yang baik. 

4. Pemeriksaan kinerja karyawan 

Tindakan karyawan berbicara lebih keras daripada kata-kata. Kadang-kadang, bahkan jajak pendapat anonim pun tidak akan memberi tahu Anda kebenaran yang sesungguhnya. Cara yang lebih informatif untuk mengetahui apakah karyawan telah kelelahan adalah dengan memeriksa seberapa konsisten kinerja setiap orang, ketidakhadiran, retensi, atau pergantian staf, serta data perekrutan dan reputasi perusahaan secara keseluruhan. 

Selain itu, gunakan juga metrik yang Anda miliki, seperti kinerja, kualitas pekerjaan, kesalahan, dan kecepatan penyelesaian dan penyelesaian proyek. Lebih jauh lagi, tingkat kebahagiaan karyawan menunjukkan produktivitas yang mendalam di tingkat individu masing-masing. 

5. Pemantauan kesehatan karyawan 

Salah satu faktor yang mempengaruhi kebahagiaan karyawan adalah stres. Setiap manajer harus berinvestasi pada kesehatan karyawan mereka agar mereka tidak menuai konsekuensi dari kelelahan dan rendahnya tingkat kebahagiaan di masa depan. 

According to recent research, 79% of American employers carefully provide health programs to their employees. However, employees must have the necessary resources to care for their well-being. This is one aspect of increasing staff retention. 

When interviewing employees about their health, you should ask them to assess their condition. Employees' productivity and well-being help form a stable, engaged, and hard-working workforce. 

6. Percakapan menginap dan keluarnya karyawan 

Manajer dan pemberi kerja terbaik tidak hanya berdiri diam melihat karyawan mereka berjalan keluar dari pintu, tetapi secara proaktif berbicara dan mendiskusikan apa yang berhasil di perusahaan mereka dan apa yang tidak. 

Survei menunjukkan bahwa alasan utama karyawan keluar bukanlah karena pekerjaan, atau bahkan bukan karena gaji, melainkan karena hubungan yang mereka miliki dengan atasan dan rekan kerja mereka. Dengan demikian, biaya untuk membangun hubungan yang sehat di tempat kerja tampaknya tidak seberapa dibandingkan dengan biaya pergantian karyawan ketika karyawan yang berbakat keluar. 

Salah satu kesalahan terbesar yang sering dilakukan oleh para pemimpin adalah berasumsi bahwa karena anggota tim tidak mengeluh, maka mereka bahagia di tempat kerja. Tentu saja, bertanya tentang kebahagiaan selama percakapan saat menginap atau keluar mungkin tampak menyedihkan. Namun, hal ini dapat dan akan membuat perbedaan dalam hubungan Anda dengan anggota tim lainnya dan karyawan di masa depan. 

“You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” Here are the top tools and techniques to measure happiness at work: 

Empower employee engagement with Empuls: Your all-in-one solution 

Empuls is an AI-powered, all-in-one employee engagement platform that helps organizations connect, recognize, and support their workforce across the entire employee lifecycle. 

1. Connect employees to your company’s culture and vision 

Empuls makes it easy to align teams with business goals through a modern social intranet that promotes inclusive, transparent communication. Share updates, celebrate wins, and foster a sense of belonging with: 

• Townhall pages, polls, and announcements 
• Community and hobby groups 
• Wishboards for birthdays, milestones, and service anniversaries 
• Interactive content like GIFs, hi-fives, and AMAs 

2. Listen to employees and take meaningful action 

Empuls provides powerful employee listening tools, including: 

• eNPS and pulse surveys to measure engagement levels 
• Lifecycle surveys for key moments like onboarding and exit 
• 360° feedback for candid peer and manager evaluations 
• AI-powered analytics to help HR and leaders make data-driven decisions 

Use these insights to build a people-first culture and improve workplace experience. 

3. Recognize and reward in the moments that matter 

Empuls turns everyday accomplishments into moments of recognition. With automated workflows and smart nudges from Em, the AI assistant, managers and peers can: 

• Send in-the-moment recognitions 
• Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and milestones 
• Launch structured reward programs—spot awards, jury-based, or peer-to-peer 
• Manage budgets and rewards centrally 

With a global catalog of 1M+ reward options—from gift cards and experiences to Amazon merchandise and charity donations—there’s something for everyone. 

4. Elevate employee well-being with perks and benefits 

Empuls goes beyond rewards by offering comprehensive wellness and financial support: 

• Exclusive discounts from over 6,000 brands across 50+ countries 
• Flexible fringe benefits (LSA) for meals, travel, wellness, remote work, and upskilling 
• Tax-saving allowances for fuel, telecom, and books 
• Early access to earned wages to ease financial stress 

These offerings help employees live better—without adding to your payroll costs. 

Empuls is quick to implement, integrates with your existing HR and collaboration tools, and can be fully white-labeled to reflect your brand. Join 1,000+ companies and 1M+ employees already leveraging Empuls to create exceptional workplaces.