7 Key Joy Indicators: How to Measure What Really Matters at Work

In a world obsessed with metrics, we’ve become experts at measuring everything from website traffic to quarterly earnings. Yet in the process, we often overlook something important: our experience of work on a daily basis.

Recently, I wrote about the idea of viewing joy as an essential metric of success, exploring how prioritizing joy can lead to more meaningful achievements and greater overall wellbeing. In response to this post, one comment on LinkedIn suggested the introduction of “Key Joy Indicators” — a playful twist on the ubiquitous KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that dominate our professional landscape.

This idea resonated deeply with me. Experience has shown that we tend to get more of what we measure. If our measurements don’t account for joy, then it’s no surprise that joy is seen as tangential to our work lives. (As one response on Instagram noted, “Wait… are we supposed to be enjoying our jobs?”) If we could gather a list of Key Joy Indicators, we could start to become more aware of the companies, bosses, clients, projects, and career paths that actually light us up.

The Joy Gap at Work

Before diving into specific indicators, it’s important to acknowledge the significant “joy gap” that exists in today’s workplace. Research shows that while 90% of employees expect to feel joy at work, only 37% actually experience high levels of joy in their jobs. This disconnect isn’t just unfortunate — it’s costly.

When joy is missing from our work lives, we’re more susceptible to burnout, less creative, and less productive. Studies show that joyful employees are up to 12% more efficient in their work. Joyful salespeople garner higher customer satisfaction scores. Joyful business leaders make better decisions and their teams are more collaborative, completing their work with less effort than more dour bosses. Across a range of fields and levels, joy is strongly linked to high performance.

Closing this joy gap isn’t just about feeling good — it’s about creating workplaces where people can thrive and do their best work. This is where Key Joy Indicators (KJIs) come in.

What Are Key Joy Indicators?

Unlike revenue or production numbers, joy is notoriously difficult to measure. It feels highly subjective — what brings one person joy might be different from another. Joy is an emotion, and that has a fuzzy quality to it, one that feels like the very opposite of measurable.

Key Joy Indicators translate the ambiguity of joy into clear, concrete signs you can look for to know that your work is pleasurable, is aligned with your values, and brings you genuine fulfillment. Unlike traditional KPIs, which measure external outcomes, KJIs measure your internal experience — how your work makes you feel and how it impacts your overall wellbeing.

By tracking these indicators, you can assess whether your current work situation is lighting you up or whether something might need to shift. They serve as an early warning system, helping you make adjustments before dissatisfaction turns into burnout.

The following KJIs emerged from reader suggestions and my own research over the years. Let’s explore how these measures can help you gauge the joy quotient in your professional life:

1. Laughter and Smiles

One of the most immediate indicators of joy at work is how often you find yourself laughing or smiling. Neuroscience research shows that laughter activates the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine and creating feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

More importantly, laughter is a social signal that indicates feeling safe and at ease. When we laugh with colleagues, we’re not just enjoying a moment of humor — we’re building trust and connection. As one former coworker shared with me, “I realized mid-meeting this morning that I’d been smiling the entire time.” That spontaneous, unconscious expression of delight speaks volumes about how her work environment made her feel.

In environments where laughter is rare, people often report feeling tense, guarded, or unable to be themselves. If you can’t remember the last time you genuinely laughed at work, it might be a sign that something needs to change.

2. Excitement About Your Work

When was the last time you couldn’t wait to share a project you were working on? That feeling of pride and enthusiasm is a powerful KJI.

This excitement manifests in different ways — perhaps you find yourself thinking about your work during off-hours, not from stress but from genuine curiosity. Maybe you eagerly anticipate feedback because you’re proud of what you’ve created. Or perhaps you notice yourself bringing up your work in conversations with friends because you find it genuinely interesting.

I want to stress that this indicator isn’t about toxic hustle culture or working around the clock. Rather, it’s about feeling connected to the purpose and impact of your work in a way that truly motivates you.

3. Connections

The quality of our connections at work profoundly impacts our experience of joy. When collaboration flourishes over competition, work becomes more fulfilling and creative.

Unfortunately, many companies inadvertently create a scarcity mindset through competitive incentive structures, pitting colleagues against each other. This approach might drive short-term results, but it often leads to a cutthroat environment where joy withers.

In contrast, workplaces that foster genuine collaboration create space for what psychologists call “collective effervescence” — that magical feeling when a group clicks and creates something greater than the sum of its parts. Notice how much time you spend collaborating with colleagues versus competing with them. When you think about others in your field, do you naturally see them as competitors or potential collaborators? Is your network of supportive connections growing or shrinking?

Your answers to these questions reveals a lot about the joy potential in your work environment.

4. Anticipation Rather Than Dread

Sunday night anxiety has become so common that we almost accept it as inevitable. But dreading the workweek ahead isn’t normal or necessary. Instead, I think we should view it as a sign that something is amiss.

When work brings joy, you’ll notice yourself looking forward to aspects of your day. This doesn’t mean every moment is blissful, but there should be elements you genuinely anticipate — perhaps a creative project, a meeting with a favorite client, or collaboration with colleagues you respect. And just as importantly, while there may be challenging or frustrating aspects to your work, you ideally won’t feel a creeping sense of fear or aversion when it comes to work.

Pay attention to how you feel when you think about the day or week ahead. If the predominant emotion is dread rather than anticipation, your work may be out of alignment with what brings you joy.

5. Energy Levels

Perhaps one of the most telling KJIs is what happens to your energy when you’re working. Does your work energize you or deplete you?

When we’re engaged in work that aligns with our values and strengths, we often experience what psychologists call harmonious passion — a type of motivation that energizes rather than exhausts. You might notice that even after a challenging day, you feel satisfied rather than drained.

Contrast this with work that leaves you feeling emotionally and physically exhausted, where even small tasks require enormous effort. While all work requires energy, there’s a profound difference between the healthy tiredness that comes from meaningful effort and the soul-deep fatigue that signals misalignment.

6. Time Perception

“Time flies when you’re having fun” isn’t just a saying — it’s a psychological phenomenon called “flow.” When we’re in a flow state, we become so immersed in what we’re doing that we lose track of time.

This state of flow is one of the hallmarks of play, where we become fully present and engaged. When work induces this state regularly, it’s a strong indicator that you’re in the right place, doing the right thing.

Notice how aware you are of the clock during your workday. Are you constantly checking the time, counting down until you can leave? Or do you sometimes look up, surprised to find that hours have passed without you noticing? The latter suggests work that brings genuine joy.

7. Engagement in Workplace Events

How people show up for optional workplace events speaks volumes about whether an organization has a culture of joy. When employees enthusiastically participate in company gatherings, workshops, or celebrations, it suggests they value the organization and feel valued by the organization, beyond just their paycheck.

This indicator works on both personal and organizational levels. For yourself, notice whether you look forward to workplace events or find excuses to avoid them. For your organization, observe the general energy level at these gatherings — are people physically present but disengaged, or actively participating?

High engagement indicates that people feel connected to the organization and to each other — essential components of a joyful work environment.

Additional Key Joy Indicators Worth Considering

Beyond these seven core indicators, several others might be worth tracking:

• Creative flow: How often do you experience moments of creative inspiration or problem-solving breakthroughs?
• Authenticity: Do you feel you can be yourself at work, or are you constantly self-censoring?
• Growth: Does your work challenge you in ways that lead to development rather than frustration?
• Purpose alignment: Does your work feel meaningful and connected to values you care about?
• Physical wellbeing: How does your work affect your sleep, appetite, and overall physical health?

Putting Key Joy Indicators into Practice

Unlike traditional KPIs, KJIs aren’t about hitting numerical targets. They’re about developing awareness of your internal experience and using that awareness to make intentional choices about your work life.

Here are some ways to incorporate KJIs into your professional life:

1. Create a joy journal: Spend a few minutes at the end of each workday noting your experience of the KJIs that matter most to you. Over time, patterns will emerge that can guide your decisions.
2. Set joy intentions: Before beginning your workday or a specific project, set an intention to notice moments of joy and to create conditions where joy can flourish.
3. Conduct regular joy audits: Every quarter, assess how your work is measuring up against your KJIs. If you notice consistent deficits, consider what changes might help — whether that’s shifting responsibilities, having a conversation with your manager, or exploring new opportunities.
4. Share with your team: Introduce the concept of KJIs to your colleagues. Creating a shared language around joy at work can transform not just your experience, but your entire workplace culture.

Joy’s Positive Feedback Loop

When we prioritize joy in our work lives, the benefits extend far beyond our individual experience. Joyful workers create joyful workplaces, which in turn create more innovative, productive, and humane organizations.

While many people see joy at work as just a fantasy, I believe that we all deserve to enjoy the labor to which we are devoting our bodies and minds each day. To me, the idea that joy should be separate from work is a sign of something broken in our society. I hope that by introducing the notion of Key Joy Indicators we can begin to shift our workplace culture so that joy is not just a nice-to-have, but an essential sign of a healthy, productive organization.

By tracking your Key Joy Indicators and making choices that increase your joy at work, you demonstrate that joy has value and you carve a path that makes these choices more available to those around you.

What Key Joy Indicators resonate most with you? Are there others you’d add to this list? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Nikita Pishchugin via Unsplash