Time emerges as a factor that’s currently poorly considered in work evaluation. European workers would like to see time evaluated more closely – either in terms of efficiency in its use (in Nordic countries) or in terms of what the worker provides (in Southern countries). The responses seem to highlight what economist Paul Dolan theorizes in “Happiness by Design”: humans are factories that use time as input and try to produce happiness as output (and sometimes succeed).

The theme of relationships appears to emerge as another point requiring more attention in work evaluation – starting with the Danes, who consistently outrank other countries on the OECD happiness scale. In the not-too-distant future, workers are interested in measuring how accumulated efforts and skills serve both to create a positive internal environment and to have a positive external impact: new metrics in this sense must be valid both for companies as entities that organize individual efforts, and for the individuals who are part of them.

The quality of what is created through time/work is seen as a critical factor that isn’t measured enough. Whether it emerges from those moments of high motivation where one feels in flow (à la Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) or from collaboration, in societies shifting towards post-materialism what seems to count is more the how (and certainly the why) of what I create, rather than the how much.

Italy presents a uniquely high ranking for “Psychological Tranquility” suggesting that Italian workers particularly value stress-free environments.

When it comes to workplace enjoyment, Danes stand apart with “Happiness” dominating at 50% – the highest score for any keyword across countries.

The equal weight given to “Happiness” and “Satisfaction” points to Spanish workers’ balanced view of workplace fulfillment.

Among French workers, the distinctive presence of “Enthusiasm” in the top rankings reveals the desire for a workplace culture that prizes emotional energy.

Germany stands out for having “Collaboration” as their top choice, indicating German workers associate workplace fun primarily with team interactions.