What Does A Chief Happiness Officer Do?

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A chief happiness officer (CHO) is, as the name suggests, an executive in charge of making sure employees in an organisation are happy and satisfied with their job roles and the overall workplace. They usually operate in the HR department and collaborate with leaders and managers to implement programs that cultivate employee happiness and well-being.

Chief Happiness Officer –  A Definition

Chief happiness officers are typically senior managers within an HR department who take a holistic approach to people’s well-being and happiness. 

Role Overview - Chief Happiness Officer
Role Overview – Chief Happiness Officer

People are the most important part of any organisation. And since they spend an average of one-third of their lives at work, it’s important that their time there is a fulfilling endeavour. This is where chief happiness officers come into play.

CHOs are an important aspect of every organisation and are responsible for creating and implementing strategies and policies that help improve and sustain employee happiness. 

Responsibilities of a Chief Happiness Officer

As stated above, a chief happiness officer is in charge of surveying and measuring employee happiness among individuals and the company as a whole.

They work closely with senior management and human resources to identify and address issues affecting employee happiness and create programs that improve employee satisfaction and motivation.

Responsibilities Of A Chief Happiness Officer
Responsibilities Of A Chief Happiness Officer

Chief happiness officers measure and track the success of initiatives aimed at improving employee happiness and also train employees on how to deal with stress and difficult situations at work.

What are the responsibilities of a CHO?

  • Surveying and measuring employee happiness among individuals and the company 
  • Working closely with senior management and human resources to identify and address issues affecting employee happiness 
  • Creating programs that improve employee satisfaction and motivation
  • Measure and track the success of initiatives aimed at improving employee happiness
  • Train employees on how to deal with stress and difficult situations at work
  • Conduct surveys and collect feedback for improving workplace happiness
  • Evaluate KPIs relevant to employee happiness
  • Develop employee appreciation systems 
  • Stay up-to-date on best practices in employee engagement and well-being

Skills of a Chief Happiness Officer 

A Chief happiness officer has excellent empathetic and communication skills. This is important because as a CHO, you need to build trust within an organisation and pave the way for open dialogues about happiness and job satisfaction.

Skills of a Chief Happiness Officer
Skills of a Chief Happiness Officer

CHOs also have strong emotional intelligence, are able to manage stressful situations, and have strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

Furthermore, chief happiness officers possess the ability to influence and inspire others toward a more positive work culture.

What are the skills of a CHO?

  • Excellent empathetic and communication skills
  • Ability to build trust within an organisation 
  • Strong emotional intelligence
  • Ability to manage stressful situations
  • Strong strategic thinking 
  • Good assertive skills
  • Strong problem-solving skills
  • Ability to influence and inspire others toward a more positive work culture

Background and Education

You don’t necessarily need a Bachelor’s degree but one in Human Resources Management can help you go a long way. Rather than educational qualifications, you need to be able to communicate well with people and have real empathy for them. 

There are numerous courses that you can also take that prepare you for the role of a CHO. A few examples are as follows:

Chief Happiness Officer Salary

A chief happiness officer earns an average of $124,400 per year in the US. On the lower end, they can earn around $33,000 whereas on the higher end, they earn $200,500 per year.

In Germany, CHOs earn €43,000 – €46,000 per year whereas in the UK, they earn between £25,000 – £36,000 per year.

Note that the salary can vary depending on a number of factors including location, industry, skills, etc.

How much do chief happiness officers make?

US$33,000
Germany$124,400
UK$200,500

Job Description of a Chief Happiness Officer

If you’re looking for the right CHO for your business, here’s a useful job description example you can use.

We are looking for a Chief Happiness Officer who is passionate about and understands human resources. The perfect candidate represents the wishes of our employees and constantly ensures a positive working atmosphere.

Responsibilities:
– Act as a link between the workforce and management
– Survey and measure employee happiness among individuals and the company 
– Ensure a fundamentally positive working atmosphere
– Create programs that improve employee satisfaction and motivation
– Measure and track the success of initiatives aimed at improving employee happiness
– Organise workshops and team events

Skills:
– Excellent social skills
– Good assertive skills
– Strong presentation and communication skills
– Ability to build trust within an organisation 
– Strong emotional intelligence
– Ability to manage stressful situations
– Strong strategic thinking 

Preferred qualifications:
– Background in HR 
– Ideally completed further training to become a CHO

Stefania Volpe

Stefania joined the international team at freelancermap in 2020. She loves marketing, the digital world, foreign languages and meeting different cultures. She moved from Italy to Germany thanks to an exchange program at the university and worked as marketing manager for several startups. Now she focuses on helping freelancers and IT professionals to find jobs and clients worldwide at www.freelancermap.com.

By Stefania Volpe

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