Ruby Receptionists, the #1 Best Small Company to Work for in the U.S. according to FORTUNE Magazine, puts a premium on happiness.

In fact, fostering happiness is so important that the Portland-based virtual receptionist company counts it as one of its five Core Values. So when an employee shared an article by Shawn Achor describing The Happiness Advantage, Ruby saw endless opportunities.

Taking cues from Achor’s research, Ruby developed a “Happiness Journal,” encouraging employees to take a few moments each day to:

      -  List three new things you’re grateful for.
      - Write about a positive gratitude action.
      - Write about a positive experience from the past 24 hours.
      - Bonus: Meditate for two minutes or exercise for ten.

Simple enough, but it had a big impact! Within six weeks of the journaling program, errors dropped from 1 reported error per 1,000 calls to 1 per 2,500 calls – a dramatic 60% increase in accuracy.

The Happiness Advantage has since become a staple at Ruby Receptionists. New employees receive a copy of the Happiness Journal at the end of training and meet with their manager to discuss the positive effects they’ve seen. Ruby’s employee-run leadership book club met and discussed more ways to implement more principles, and anyone may check out one of the numerous copies of Achor’s book housed in Ruby’s Resource Library (stocked with a wide range of tools to help employees grow personally and professionally).

Ruby also incorporates elements of The Happiness Advantage in quarterly incentive campaigns by supporting positive habit-building, acts of gratitude, and journaling. In their current campaign, Rubys can earn points for sending thank-you notes to coworkers, breaking down long-term goals into manageable tasks, jotting down what they’re grateful for each day, and meeting with team members to build their social support system. Top-earning individuals and teams receive prizes such as PTO or a team bowling night, in addition to larger grand prizes.

A five-time fastest growing company in Oregon and nationally acclaimed for its unique workplace culture, Ruby Receptionists is proof that the Happiness Advantage is real, possible, and it works.