In the field of Human Resources, what we usually refer to as a Human Resource Manager has evolved into the profession of a Happiness Officer. This role forms the very crux of the organisation’s wellbeing as it is directly responsible for attracting the best talent to the company. Keeping that talent motivated and generating a sense of belonging to the company falls within the officer’s ambit. The essence of whatever a person does and finding meaning in what you do is happiness. Keeping this in mind, the happiness team, led by the chief happiness officer, basically asks the question, ‘Do you find meaning in your work environment?’ and they ensure that everybody feels comfortable with the people they work with to conserve the energy and the atmosphere of the organisation.
Usually, HR is all about hiring policies and bringing out the efficiency of an employee, who is a resource of the organisation. The idea behind a Happiness Officer comes in because we don’t want to look at our employees as resources anymore, we want to look at them as individuals and help them to perform their best. A Happiness Officer does this in the most holistic way possible where they treat people as human beings. The role and importance of Happiness Officers will only continue to grow more.
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In India, there is a socio-economic shift that has moved employees from simply surviving to thriving. Earlier, it was merely about paying the bills. Today, there are so many more options. People have the option to take risks and money is not the primary criteria anymore. Due to this trend, people who work out of genuine interest search for a support system and don’t just work from one paycheck. For any people-driven organisation, like an advertising or consulting firm, HR is an integral part of the core management. And we no longer look at it as just a function. There are a lot of developments in fields like personal counsellors to catch up to these developments. A happy employee base is the greatest investment an organisation can make. Especially when you are building this in today’s competitive environment where any company can offer a higher salary, managing human resources has grown exceedingly important. You can really tell if an organisation is open to its employees’ needs based on whether they stick with a job regardless of their salary.
Every company has a culture. Sustaining this culture has entirely to do with the people within it and how satisfied they are. This can keep fluctuating back and forth. It is similar to a living organism or a relationship, where it requires continuous attention. And as company policies become more Human Resource-oriented, there is a larger change occurring from within the workforce. HR is not going to be merely about filling forms for much longer and the Happiness Officer is here to ensure that the transition is smooth for all the people involved. It takes the equation beyond money and makes the employee’s relationship with their workplace a much more meaningful one.
(Rohan Bhansali is an investment banker turned entrepreneur who co-founded Gozoop —India’s largest independent digital agency, which has a wide presence in India, New York and UAE. With an intense passion for the people side of the business, Bhansali is best known for cultivating a great work environment at Gozoop, which holds a record for the youngest company to feature on the list of India’s Best Companies to Work For as curated by Great Place to Work Institute. Inspired by the book Banker to The Poor by Professor Yunus and a meeting with Nipun Mehta of Service Space, Bhansali started the 1SmallStep Foundation — a social business incubator. Through it, Bhansali invests in and mentors social businesses that solve social problems, focusing on child education and employment. Bhansali firmly believes in maintaining a tolerant workspace.)
