Measure happiness and engagement at work – and act fast

Fewer questions, more often

André Francois co-founded Happy at Work after growing tired of 50–60-question employee surveys. The idea: ask fewer questions more often and follow trends. In their data, the link between how people feel and how they perform is clear – some companies saw sales and productivity drop when happiness fell.

Getting started

Choose a few themes that matter to you and ask one or two questions per theme. Keep surveys short, mobile-friendly and visual. Inform employees before you start, and agree in leadership on what to measure and how to follow up. Trends have moved from classic work environment questions and eNPS towards health, health benefits and inclusion.

Act fast

Big survey processes often take so long that the problem has changed before anything happens. Share results quickly, let managers propose initiatives, and involve employees – admit a problem in an open question and ask for ideas.

Individual support without revealing identities

An anonymous chat lets managers offer support or coaching to people who report, for example, poor sleep – without knowing who they are.

Reading the results

7–8 out of 10 is generally good. Watch for seasonal patterns – happiness tends to dip in autumn and winter – and world events. Measure the effect of specific initiatives: one company found a local kickoff costing a quarter as much had the same effect as one abroad.

Key takeaways

• Short, frequent pulse surveys give better response rates and clear trends.
• Act fast on results before they become outdated.
• Involve employees in the solutions.
• Anonymous individual support can reach those who need it most.
• Measure the effect of initiatives and adapt to the seasons.