What was true 20 years ago is still true today. Every company needs to be looking at compensation that is competitive and a benefits package that provides what key talent really values. However, what has shifted is a bigger focus on the job itself, the product and/or the service the company provides, and being involved with teams within the organization that provide meaningful experiences. There is also a push by younger employers to feel connected to a great sense of purpose. Of course, a meaningful experience for one employee may be very different than another’s. That presents both challenges and opportunities for HR leaders.
To make work experiences feel meaningful, there are some broad categories that can have an impact:
- Having the opportunity to solve real-life problems and being able to see the impact of the work they’ve done.
- Research that leads to understanding how what they do can positively impact the company and/or the client.
- Being given the opportunity to communicate and work with a wide variety of people within an organization to develop different skill sets.
- Being included in learning about and vetting new technologies specific to either their current job or related to a position they are working towards.
Intrinsic qualities are nearly five times more important to making work meaningful than extrinsic ones. What is often not emphasized enough is the idea of relatedness in a working environment. Simply put, employees want to feel that their colleagues care about them and that they care about their colleagues. Caring about a colleague will mean that during times of stress and change, they know there is someone they can talk to, share a meal with, and not feel isolated. This sense of care also means that teams will work together versus pulling apart when there are difficult challenges.
Finding meaning in the work that a person does isn’t always related to the job itself. As an example, there are single-parent households where the parent is working two jobs to provide for their children. Maybe the meaning of a person’s job is to have the financial ability to care for an aging loved one.
When it comes to understanding what purpose may mean for different types of employees, there is research by McKinsey and Company that puts employees into three categories:
Achievers: These employees find purpose in accumulating social and/or material resources. They often find opportunities for self-improvement as valuable. These are the employees who want access to things like training and certifications to further their careers. It could be an opportunity to become a better public speaker.
Free Spirits: These are the employees who greatly value opportunities where they can control what they do and when they do it. Typically, they will value flexible work schedules and more freedom to choose what projects they work on.
Caregivers: These employees are more focused on human connection and want control of how and when they care for their colleagues. They tend to be less focused on material gains and put more emphasis on what others think of them.
One of the biggest challenges is understanding if the company values are aligned with each team member's values. Helping team leaders and mid-level managers understand how to bring alignment can be very helpful in building the work culture you want. As an example, if a manager knows that someone on their team is more of an “achiever” and had no opportunities over the past few years for advancement or to learn new skills, that can be an opportunity. Employees may become more engaged by being given the chance to have access to new challenges like leading a project or acquiring a certification.
In our over-busy workplaces, it is important to make sure that employees and the teams they contribute to see the benefit of what they do. Here are some ways you can help your workforce be connected to purpose:
- Share client stories regularly that showcase how the company’s product or service makes their lives better.
- When having any town hall or “all hands” meetings, try to include one company “win” that they can feel proud of.
- If your company has an internal newsletter, use a section to tell a story of how tasks they perform had a real-life impact.
These are just some of the ways you can create more meaning and purpose for your employees. Understanding the intrinsic needs of your employees can help them feel a deeper sense of purpose and loyalty to your company and your brand.