Survey: Canadian Professionals Rank 5th Happiest; Germans Most Interested in Their Jobs
- Two-thirds of employees surveyed in North America, Europe and Australia are generally happy in their jobs.
- Employees in the United States, the Netherlands and Germany ranked highest in terms of on-the-job happiness.
- German professionals express the highest level of interest in their jobs; Dutch workers have the least stress.
- Pride in one's company is the top happiness driver in Canada, U.S and UK; being treated with fairness and respect is the top happiness driver in France, Belgium and Germany.
TORONTO, June 27, 2017 /CNW/ - Canada ranks fifth in an international study of employee happiness, according to research released by global staffing firm Robert Half.
The results are published in a new report: It's Time We All Work Happy™: The Secrets of the Happiest Companies and Employees. For the study, Robert Half worked with leading happiness and well-being expert Nic Marks and Saamah Abdallah of Happiness Works. Marks' team evaluated the levels of employee happiness among more than 23,000 working professionals across Europe, North America and Australia. The report shows the United States, Germany and the Netherlands have the happiest employees among the countries included in the research, ranking 71.8, 71.2 and 69.9, respectively, on a happiness scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the happiest. The countries studied with the lowest levels of employee happiness are France (63.8), Belgium (65.2) and the UK (67.2).
Employee Happiness by Country
(Score is based on an index from 0-100 where 0 is the worst possible outcome and 100 the most favourable.)
| Country |
Happiness |
| Average |
68.1 |
| United States |
71.8 |
| Germany |
71.2 |
| Netherlands |
69.9 |
| Australia |
67.9 |
| Canada |
67.8 |
| UK |
67.2 |
| Belgium |
65.2 |
| France |
63.8 |
The research also shows that the top drivers of employee happiness vary by country. In Canada, the United States and the UK, the highest-ranking factors are having pride in one's organization, feeling appreciated and being treated with fairness and respect. In France, Belgium, Germany and Australia, being treated with fairness and respect is the top happiness factor. In the Netherlands, a sense of accomplishment is the most important driver of happiness.
"Happy employees are at the heart of successful organizations; they're engaged, motivated and ultimately support a more innovative, productive work environment," said Greg Scileppi, president of Robert Half, International Staffing Operations. "Managers can improve happiness levels in their companies by frequently recognizing staff contributions, and making sure employees understand how their roles fit in with overall company goals."
Employees Stress Levels and Interest by Country
The research also examined how average stress and interest levels at work vary across geographies. Among employees surveyed, Germans rate the level of interest they have in their work highest, followed by Dutch and Americans. Professionals in the Netherlands report the least stress on the job, with Australians ranking second and the UK coming in third.
Employee Interest and Stress Level by Country
| Ranking |
Level of Interest in Work |
Low Stress Level |
| 1 |
Germany |
Netherlands |
| 2 |
Netherlands |
Australia |
| 3 |
United States |
UK |
| 4 |
Belgium |
U.S. |
| 5 |
France |
Belgium |
| 6 |
Canada |
Canada |
| 7 |
UK |
France |
| 8 |
Australia |
Germany |
About the Research
This study was developed by Robert Half and Happiness Works and conducted by an independent research firm. The research is based on survey results of more than 23,000 working professionals who are currently employed on a full- or part-time basis, across eight countries, with the results segmented by geographic location.
About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest staffing firm with more than 325 staffing locations worldwide. We believe working happy is the only way to work, and we have made it our mission to help people find fulfilling jobs and help companies build happy, productive teams. Find out more at https://www.roberthalf.com/its-time-we-all-work-happyroberthalf.com/it's-time-we-all-work-happy. For career and management advice, follow our blog at roberthalf.ca/blog, and Robert Half Canada on Twitter at @RobertHalf_CAN for additional workplace advice and hiring trends.
SOURCE Robert Half Canada Inc.
Naz Araghian, 416.865.2140, [email protected]
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