Small Business Employees Are Happier

Ever feel like big businesses have too much money and power? They do. But there’s one thing they don’t have that you probably do: happy workers.

Small Business Employees Are the Happiest

While big business staffers watch the clock tick away the hours, small business workers are knocking out projects with a smile.

A recent report found that people working in firms with 10 or fewer employees have the highest happiness levels, while organizations with 10,000 or more employees report the lowest. Likewise, 43% of small business workers say they feel happy at work while only 27% of their peers at large businesses report the same.

If that’s not enough to prove that big business is losing the happiness game, consider this: 95% of small business employees say that at least some of their happiness is due to working for a small business. Of that percentage, 39% attribute most of their job satisfaction to working for a small business.

The discrepancies between small and big business satisfaction widen every year. In fact, small business optimism is currently the highest it’s been in 43 years. Because of this, small businesses enjoy the benefits of having employees that actually care about their work.

So why do small businesses have the edge over the big guys?

Small Businesses Appreciate Their Employees More

At the end of the workday, your staffers just want to be appreciated for the effort and sacrifice they put into helping your company succeed. When asked about the best part of working for a small business employer, workers cited:

• Being appreciated (67%)
• Having a flexible schedule (27%)
• Seeing the fruits of their labor (23%)
• Feeling like their input matters (17%)
• Being rewarded for hard work (14%)
• Getting noticed by people who matter (9%)
• Broadening their skill set (6%)

With appreciation being paramount to worker happiness, it’s important to note that 80% of small business employees say they feel appreciated at work. They also feel more respected at work than large business staffers.

Why? Because small businesses have less bureaucracy and more authentic human interaction. This leads to tight-knit communities of professionals who support each other in achieving common goals. In other words, small businesses help employees feel needed and appreciated when they’re at work instead of leaving them feeling like a small cog in a giant machine. 

And there’s more: happy employees lead to happy bosses. In fact, happy workers:

• Are 12% more productive
• Have more active and creative minds
• Are more willing to collaborate

According to Alexander Kjerulf, founder of Woohoo Inc., happiness is the “ultimate productivity booster.” So keep it up – your employees and bottom line will thank you later.