They fill fruit baskets, organize company celebrations or the next team building event: one hears and reads more and more often about good mood representatives who are supposed to make sure that people are happy at work. What used to be the responsibility of the HR department or the assistant to the management has now become a separate role in many places. Ralf Tometschek, an expert on corporate culture and employer branding, knows that it’s not just about being in a good mood: “The fruit basket and the foosball table are nice, but there should be more behind the fashionable term. People feel comfortable at work when they see the meaning of their own work
see clearly. Or if there is someone who ensures that hurdles in the work process are removed. This is how employees stay motivated in the long run.”

Because Doris Steinscherer is just as convinced of this, she has been training experts for corporate well-being at the Feelgood Management Academy she founded for a year. Around 25 people are currently attending the course. “Working time is lifetime. Who wants to spend their lifetime in a place where they don’t feel valued?” says Steinscherer. “The shortage of skilled workers is forcing companies to think about how they want to treat their employees. Many people don’t quit because the work doesn’t suit, but because they aren’t appreciated enough.”

Terminations for lack of appreciation

Specialists in many places, especially software developers, are difficult to find. Martin Herdina can tell you a thing or two about that. Until recently, he was managing director of the Salzburg augmented reality start-up Wikitude. Wikitude has been part of the US chip company Qualcomm for a few weeks. During a phase in which the start-up at the time was growing rapidly, Wikitude brought a feel-good manager on board. “It was important to us that we strengthen our team,” says Herdina. “Through employee surveys, we saw where the shoe pinches and then worked out a corresponding program together, which, for example, improves communication between the teams.” But growth was not the only decisive factor for this step. “People from twelve different nations work for us. In addition, our teams are not only in Salzburg, but work from everywhere. In order for this cooperation to be successful, we are always actively creating our own corporate culture.”

Good atmosphere in the office attracts workers

Romy Sigl confirms that a good atmosphere is automatically attractive. Exactly ten years ago, they founded Coworking Salzburg, an open-plan office where mainly the self-employed rent a desk. “People come for more rational reasons at first, they need a job. But the reason they stay so long is mostly because they get a lot more than that. With us, they work in an environment where ideas are exchanged openly and there is a strong sense of community . I often hear others say that we’re like an island where everyone’s cheerful and nice. I think that’s appealing.”

With the pandemic, however, everything became very serious, according to Sigl, so she specifically counteracted it. The 48-year-old Sophie Gerlitz was therefore recently officially given the role of happiness manager. Gerlitz is the founder of the Brainzzz advertising agency and, like many others, rents a place in the Salzburg coworking space.

For me, happiness is a question of attitude, everyone carries it within themselves.
Romy Sigl, founder of Coworking Salzburg

What’s special: Sigl doesn’t actually have to do that. Unlike in companies, most of their tenants do not work for them or with each other, they run their own business. Nevertheless, it is very important for the 39-year-old that her colleague reflects again and again on whether they also like what they do: “A few years ago I started asking everyone here every month how happy they were is on a scale of one to ten. Many have only just realized that they are much happier than they thought.” But do we all have to be happy all the time? Doesn’t this claim make us unhappy again? “Yes, we live in a happiness-enhancing society,” says Professor Anton Bucher, happiness researcher at the University of Salzburg. We are always encouraged to produce as much happiness as possible. Bucher emphasizes that there can also be sadness and bad days and even need them to feel real happiness: “Happiness is an experience of contrasts. It also needs the dark skies so we can appreciate the nice weather.”

Happiness manager Sophie Gerlitz also doesn’t see it as her job to compulsively make fun of her colleague: “Of course I like to organize secret Santa in Advent or a Halloween party. But I’m even more concerned with creating structures so that others can perceive and perceive the happiness they have.” The fact that work should create feelings of happiness is logical for Happiness Manager Gerlitz: “We spend more time at work than with friends and family. So it’s important that we feel comfortable there.”

“For me, happiness is a question of attitude, everyone carries it within themselves. We are consciously reminded of this through the role of the happiness manager,” says Romy Sigl. “And fortunately happiness is also contagious.”