Can employee happiness be the driving force behind a financial strategy?

Employee happiness "If you need to, you can stand up." Like this.

Oh, a race car.Oh, on this side.Okay.- Is it a Ferrari?

It's the most important asset a company has within its structure.

I read an article some time ago about a study they conducted,where they had two identical companies, same product, same area,same marketing strategy, everything the same.

The only difference was the people working there.One was very successful, while the other wasn't.

Why?Because a company is made of culture, a company is made of people.

If people feel good in the place where they work, if they have goals,if they're developing the skills they believe are necessary to reach their objectives, if they feel they're in a place where they can be themselves, they'll give more of themselves.

If they're in a company where they don't feel good, where they think they won't be able to achieve their goals, where they don't feel valued and think they're doing things that don't contribute, those people will become demotivated and eventually leave.

We're not just talking about salaries. Of course, salaries have to be good to retain the right people, but with company culture, and as they say:"culture eats strategy for breakfast." We can have the best market strategy, the best vision,the best product, but if we don't have the right people, motivated people who feel they're growing in their careers and reaching their goals,we won't be able to execute, and we won't get there.

Therefore, people, their happiness and well-being, and making sure that they feel valued in the company, will be among the main drivers of any organization's success, I'm completely sure of that.

Look, when I worked at Microsoft, we used to answer an annual survey that was then called MS Puller, I know it has a different name now,and every year they asked us the same question. There were many,but this one was constant throughout the 18 years I worked there. It was:"If you were offered the same salary, with the same responsibilities, same position,everything identical. The only difference was that it was at a competitor or another company: would you leave or not?" As simple as that.

And during the 18 years I was at Microsoft, my answer was:"No, I wouldn't leave." Why?

Because when you're in a company that invests in you, that cares about your career plan, that wants to understand your dreams and ambitions, that gives you the tools you need to keep developing yourself, to develop the essential skills to succeed,the skills that are critical to reach your dream job,that allows you to have mentors, that gives you flexibility,that offers you the chance to go further… It's worth staying.

It's much more than just a salary.When we think about the company we want to collaborate with and work for,we can't have salary as the only deciding factor.

We have to think about how much the company invests in its professionals,how much it invests so that we can reach our goals.

I think that makes all the difference.I, as an employee, looked at my company and thought:"Microsoft wants me to succeed and to reach my goals,so I'll stay here." It's also important that it gives me the necessary tools, the ones to be successful.

I think that's the best thing a company can show an employee to show that the company counts on us, not only as employees who fulfill our responsibilities within the deadlines,but that it's also interested in our success.

I think that's the best thing one can have in any organization.