What made Noma "World's Best Restaurant"? - "Job Satisfaction" or "Happiness at Workplace"

Organizations these days are focusing a lot on "Job Satisfaction".

What exactly is Job Satisfaction?

As per businessmanagementideas.com, Job satisfaction refers to a person’s feeling of satisfaction on the job, which acts as a motivation to work. It is not the self-satisfaction, happiness or self-contentment but the satisfaction on the job.

Job satisfaction relates to the total relationship between an individual and the employer for which he is paid.

Satisfaction means the simple feeling of attainment of any goal or objective. Job dissatisfaction brings an absence of motivation at work.

Components of Job Satisfaction

There are 5 major components to address Job Satisfaction primarily: Engagement; Respect, Praise and Recognition; Fair Compensation; Motivation and Life Satisfaction.

But the problem starts when Organizations start feeling that Job Satisfaction can be increased by enhancing the fringe benefits like lunch facility, free breakfast, festival gifts and the list goes on and on. No doubt these are also important but does they actually make the employees happy?

How many times have you seen employees feeling happier after the Appraisal or with Food or Festival gifts? The employees and organization might feel satisfied but they might not be happier.

There is a difference between "Satisfaction" and "Happiness".

Happiness in employees comes from 2 major factors - Appreciations and Purpose.

It's only when the employees get regular Appreciations for their work, that is when they feel connected to the job and more importantly to the company. Appreciations can be as big as Monthly/ Quarterly or Annual awards or a small gesture of clapping and patting on the back.

Purpose is what plays an important role. Most of the organizations have their Mission, Vision and Values but how many times is it clear to employees. Ask your employees about the Vision, Mission and Values and 99% of them will not know that. It just remains as one photograph on the wall of the office.

Therefore, it's important for the Top Leadership to remember what their Vision and Purpose is and how to align each and every employee to it. Not only aligning, the organization also needs to appreciate his each and every action towards that Purpose.

Story of Noma Restaurant

Noma - a famous restaurant in Denmark, also named the world’s best four times by Restaurant magazine and three times in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best has a very clear Purpose and Mission.

In 2010, when Noma won the award, the whole team flew to London to get the award except Ali Sonko - a Dishwasher with the restaurant for the last 14 years. The whole team wore a t-shirt with the photo of Ali Sonko (see above) and 2 years later, when Noma won the award again, the owner and chef Rene Redzepi handed over the mike to Ali to speak on Noma's behalf. The owner said, when we aimed for the "Best Restaurant", then each and every member of the team was aligned to eat - from the Michelin star chefs to the Dishwashers, and they are equally responsible for the award.

Ali Sonka, the dishwasher was also made the co-owner of the company a few years later. This attitude differentiates the company from a World-class company.

Therefore, rather than providing the Fringe benefits, it's important to provide the employees with Experiences that they'll remember for lifetime, Appreciate every small effort towards the goal and make it clear how they are aligned to the Vision of the company so that they know their purpose.