In recent years, the list of criteria employees consider when choosing a new job has grown longer. Salary alone is no longer enough. Workers also want a real quality of work life that brings well-being and balance. The Covid-19 crisis highlighted this trend even further, making the role of Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) increasingly relevant.
The Chief Happiness Officer, also known as the “happiness manager,” is a professional responsible for creating and maintaining working conditions that support employee happiness. Widespread in large US companies, especially in Silicon Valley, this new role has gradually made its way to Europe. But what are the real advantages of hiring a Chief Happiness Officer for your business?
What does a Chief Happiness Officer do?
The primary mission of the Chief Happiness Officer is to improve quality of work life. There are many ways to achieve this. For example, organizing regular internal events can strengthen company culture and human connections between colleagues. This might take the form of afterwork gatherings, healthy breakfasts with fresh fruit and nuts, or weekly yoga sessions to help relieve stress.
While their role is to increase and maintain happiness levels across the organization, the Chief Happiness Officer also ensures that employees are in roles that suit them 100%. If not, they can suggest internal mobility options and provide guidance throughout the process.
The CHO is also part of the broader concept of “wellworking“, which involves rethinking both office spaces and human relations at work. In this sense, the CHO is a solution designed to boost employee well-being and, as a result, company productivity.
Not so long ago, happiness at work and productivity were often seen as opposites. Today, they are recognized as closely connected. The Chief Happiness Officer can even act as a mediator between employer and employees, helping ease tensions with an objective perspective. As always, communication is key.
This emerging role therefore represents a necessary shift away from more traditional management styles.
Why hire a Chief Happiness Officer?
After the Covid-19 crisis, the return to office life was a source of resistance — and sometimes conflict — for many workers. Accustomed to the flexibility of remote work, some employees found it difficult to readjust to a more rigid office routine. Expectations around well-being at work also became much higher. In this context, hiring a Chief Happiness Officer can bring several benefits.
First, to help unmotivated employees return to the office with a smile, they need to feel happy and fulfilled at work. The CHO can implement the right conditions to create this sense of belonging and satisfaction.
This may involve improving internal processes to encourage more creativity and participation, or rethinking the work environment itself. The office setting plays a crucial role in motivating employees. For example, offering healthy food options in the workplace contributes to well-being. Does your company already provide fresh fruit baskets? Great initiative! If you want to expand further, consider eco-friendly snack dispensers with dried fruit, nuts, and cereals, like those offered by BulkBar. Healthy, organic, and package-free — what more could employees ask for?
Another important element is recognition. Every employee wants to feel valued and appreciated. It’s human nature. Without recognition, resignations increase, productivity drops, and everyone loses.
That is why management needs to show empathy, listening, and care. Having a dedicated person focused on employee well-being can make all the difference.
Companies that have already hired a Chief Happiness Officer — such as Google, Siemens, TikTok, Airbnb, and Coca-Cola — report clear benefits. They often credit this role with greater creativity, stronger productivity, and higher employee satisfaction.
Conclusion
While the foundations of the Chief Happiness Officer role are similar to those of an HR director, the CHO’s main responsibility is the well-being of employees, whereas HR directors usually juggle a wider range of tasks.
To succeed, a CHO must have excellent communication skills, both with leadership and with employees.
As the guardian of happiness at work, this role is now essential within modern organizations. The CHO also has the crucial responsibility of easing tensions and supporting employees in need.
Hiring a Chief Happiness Officer offers many advantages and is likely to become increasingly common in the years ahead.
Published on 24/02/2023
