Why the 10 Happiest Companies Recruit the Best People

Happiness is the foundation of success. When every member of your team is fully engaged, fulfilled and dashes to work excited to tackle the day’s new challenges, productivity soars.

Numerous studies show us that happiness is directly linked to higher results. It’s pretty simple, really. Employees who feel like devalued, uninterested and disgruntled by their employers have very little motivation to do anything but the bare minimum to get their paycheck. This helps no one.

If companies are successful in cultivating a positive, engaging and nurturing work environment, they’ll not only watch the bottom line grow but also attract more top talent. So, it’s a win-win for companies and professionals.

That’s why, every year, we analyze hundreds of thousands of employee reviews to reward companies that are going above and beyond to make their people happy.

But, how exactly do we define “happiness?” Glad you asked!

CareerBliss worked with a team of experts, including Brad Brummel, Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Joseph C. Rode, Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, to determine the top factors that directly influence our workplace happiness.

Thousands of employees from hundreds of companies ranked how they felt about each of these factors, and we release an annual list of Top 50 Happiest Companies for 2014. The key factors that make up work happiness include: work-life balance, one’s relationship with his or her boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks and job control over work performed on a daily basis.

Each review is given an average score indicating where the company places between one and five.

Let’s dig in a little deeper at the top two factors that make the folks at the top 10 happiest companies flying high at work!

Top 10 Happiest Companies for 2014, and a taste of what makes them go:

10. Avaya Bliss Score: 4.048

The folks over at Avaya ranked the relationships they have with their coworkers and the control over their work as the top reasons for happiness. The best talent thrives with likeminded go-getters and the freedom to run with their ideas.

9. Capital One – 4.051

The Capital One team said the relationships with their coworkers and work setting as the top two most valuable factors for happiness. Their cool buildings and awesome amenities are a top reason why people love working there.

8. General Electric – 4.053

General Electric’s team loves their coworkers and the control over their work. Again, the best professionals love the freedom to run with ideas and make them their own.

7. Bristol-Myers Squibb – 4.063

Likewise, the employees at Bristol-Myers Squibb love their coworkers and job control almost equally as General Electric. When your team is smart and supportive, talent and success is a self-perpetuating cycle.

6. KBR – 4.095

At KBR, it’s all about the people they work with and the person they work for. Great managers are the key to cultivating a thriving, happy team.

5. Qualcomm – 4.114

Qualcomm’s team is the most enthusiastic about the resources they get at work and the folks they work with as well. Backed with these tools, Qualcomm offers a great place to grow.

4. EMC – 4.118

EMC is a provider of cloud computing, Big Data, and trusted IT solutions. Like Capital One, EMC’s employees love their coworkers and their awesome digs the most.

3. Texas Instruments – 4.120

Texas Instruments’ team is similar to that of KBR—they ranked the people they work with and their boss as the most valuable to their happiness.

2. Kaiser Permanente – 4.122

Following the trend of Capital One and EMC, Kaiser Permanente’s folks are happiest about the people they work with and the place they work.

1. Pfizer – 4.139

And, winning Pfizer’s happy team ranked the the people they work with as the most valuable and the way they work as the second most important factor to their happiness.

The pattern here is loud and clear! All of the employees at the top 10 happiest companies said that the people they work with are among the top two most valuable factors that influence their happiness.

So, cultivating a culture of lively collaboration, discussion and interaction is essential to workplace happiness. When folks love the people they work with, they’ll be more excited to work together on achieving greater heights. A win-win for both your business and the team’s professional growth.

Ritika Trikha is the CareerBliss Content Editor. Post a job to CareerBliss through SmartRecruiters. Photo Credit SunFunFashion.

SmartRecruiters is the only hiring platform that managers and candidates love. See more about how happiness can drive success in your work by watching this TED Talk by Shawn Achor: