Why every company needs a Chief Happiness Officer

Carnival fancy dress, tossing pancakes and munching on pizza - another normal day in the offices of lastminute.com group? If our philosophical CHO in Paris has her way, then yes!…

One woman’s vision becomes a reality

Back in September 2016, Stéphanie Madeleine Broissin aka Mado from our Projects Team, mentioned to a few colleagues in the French office about Chief Happiness Officers (CHOs). Facing puzzled faces at first, she explained: The role originated in Silicon Valley with the aim of making people happier at work. Being happy at work really matters. Studies have shown that it truly benefits people’s lives and careers and increases productivity. Most of us spend the vast majority of our week with our colleagues – so it helps if we know them better and have mates at work.

Scrap the CHO, we’re going to need a CHT

So we created one… not a Chief Happiness Officer but a whole Chief Happiness Team! Imagine applying for this job – you’d want to inspire happiness in colleagues and make the office a great place to be. You’d probably want team building skills on your CV and be an ambassador of the company’s values – vive le pink spirit! And you definitely don’t mind looking like an idiot every now and again!

With the support of Ana Domenech, France Director, Mado and six other volunteers became the “Happiness Team” in the Paris office. And happiness is contagious so in less than six months, we had siblings in Madrid (led by Laura Amoretti) and in London (led by Kirsten Beacock).

In the French office, each month the happiness team organises the “happy drinks” to get people together around a pizza so they can spend some time together in a different way and get to know the colleagues they only ever see in the lift.

Valentine’s Day in the Paris office

We’re going to need a mission statement

“lastminute.com was created based on an avant-gardist concept, and was a pioneer company in the online travel business. We have our unique “pink spirit” corporate culture that we need to maintain in a constant changing and fast growing company. So, as employees, we should be avant-gardists as well and put together a team to try this new innovative CHO concept in the French business.” Mado, 2017

Mardi Gras fun in the Paris office

The champion – James wins the inaugural pancake tossing competition in London

What next?

Is that it? Is it enough? No, this is only the beginning, but it’s only been 6 months and we’ve had brilliant feedback and engagement so far. We’ve always had a very strong and unique corporate culture that we can be proud of, and that we want to keep alive.

Tell's what you do in your office to encourage happiness :) ?