INSIGHTS 2019: XOXO award winners, and Shawn Achor on happiness and success

There was a lot of excitement and anticipation in the air during the keynote on the third day of Ceridian’s annual INSIGHTS conference in Las Vegas. First, Ted Malley, Ceridian’s Chief Customer Officer took the stage to reveal our 2019 XOXO award winners. 

Submissions for the XOXO awards were evaluated on one of the following categories:

• Operational efficiencies gained
• Increased productivity, reduced turnover/absenteeism
• Improved/ measurable impact on employee engagement 
• Outstanding focus on compliance 

Astounding transformation

The first award was given to an organisation that best demonstrates one or more of Ceridian's core brand attributes, resulting in astounding transformative results, including improved productivity and efficiency. 

Winner: Underwriters Laboratories

UL achieved transformative results after implementing Dayforce. They completely overhauled how they pay their employees, ensuring their growing workforce can focus on what they do best– keeping customers safe. Read more about Underwriters Laboratories. 

Employee empowerment and engagement 

This award honors an organisation that has made significant improvements to employee engagement and leveraged Ceridian's solutions to improve their employee experience.

Winner: Marshall Health

Marshall Health unified and streamlined their employee's user experience across 40 locations, beginning the moment they're hired. This has led to improved employee engagement and retention in an increasingly competitive industry. Read more about Marshall Health. 

Global transformation 

This award goes to an organisation that had significantly transformed their processes on a global scale. 

Winner: Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit AeroSystems transformed their global payroll processes with Dayforce. This transformation resulted in instant access to reporting for locations around the world, allowing for decisions to be informed by data. Learn more about Spirit AeroSystems. 

Peace of mind compliance

The last award was given to an organisation that simplified payroll processes, improved efficiencies, and reduced compliance risk so they can focus on more strategic responsibilities within the organisation. This company demonstrated how they have made changes to HCM processes and leveraged Ceridian's solutions to improve and manage compliance. 

Winner: MBK Senior Living

MBK Senior Living leveraged Dayforce to ensure compliance at their senior living division. By automating training records to help ensure all employees are up-to-date, MBK can provide the best care possible to their residents. Read more about MBK Senior Living.

Shawn Achor on happiness and achieving success

Shawn Achor, a happiness researcher and author of The Happiness Advantage and Big Potential ended the session by sharing his perspectives on how we can think of happiness and success differently, backed up his research in the field. Here are a few key takeaways from his keynote: 

Happiness is easier to achieve in a team

Obstacles appear larger and more overwhelming when you're facing them by yourself, Achor argues. “If you're by yourself looking at a mountain that you're about to climb, your brain perceives the mountain as 10-20% steeper than the mountain you see while standing next to a friend who's about to climb it with you,” he said.

His research found that this way of thinking also applies to emotional stress, anxiety, and depression. In short, he says, we aren’t designed to create success and happiness in isolation.

“One of the greatest predictors of happiness is social connection,” he said.

Stop moving the target for happiness

Achor shared powerful research revealing that focusing on your own happiness first will ultimately help you achieve success.

The belief, "I'll be happy once I get a promotion or make more money" is backwards, he explained. His research shows that we often put happiness on the other side of success, and once we reach our goal, we move the goalpost of happiness once again. His research suggests the importance of flipping this belief and focusing on happiness first will help teams and individuals achieve greater success.

Send words of appreciation daily

Start your day off by sending a message of appreciation to someone in your life that you're grateful for, Achor advised. This could be a quick message via email or text message. Not only does this spread positivity and happiness, but it will make you feel better throughout the entire day. 

"One of the greatest predictors of happiness is social connection."

Scan for opportunities of gratitude

Achor  also shared the effectiveness of scanning for opportunities to show gratitude as a way to build optimism. Scanning for new things essentially trains your brain in a new pattern, to see bits of positivity in small, everyday tasks. 

Happiness spreads within teams

"The human brain is designed to be wirelessly connected to other people," Achor told the audience. If we can change individual levels of happiness, the effect will spread. 

"Happiness can be cultivated and taught within our teams by empowering employees to have a positive mindset throughout their day,'' he added. 

Organisations must start thinking about the work routines they're currently doing to increase levels of happiness within their teams so they can spread the effects of positivity. Employee recognition and appreciation can have significant business outcomes such as better employee performance and retention.