Fast Company recently published an article by Lydia Dishman titled “The Secrets of America’s Happiest Companies.” Dishman covers a lot of ground about the ways different companies keep employees happy. For those that like bullet lists, though, she broke it down to five good best practices.

• Variety: Happy employees experience different roles within the company, which can create a feeling of improvement.
• Meaning: Employees want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world, or at least for their company.
• Praise: Employees like regular praise and public acknowledgement for a great job.
• Individual: A people-first policy will go a long way in keeping employees happy. No more widget makers. They want recognition as humans.
• Integration: The term “work-life balance” is no longer applicable in the 21st century. Focus on how to reasonably integrate work and life within an employee’s daily activities.

Check out the full article for more about how to keep employees happy, and let me know in the comments what makes you happy at work.

(Image via Flickr: Dice.com / Creative Commons)