There are many reasons why modern employees may be seeking meaning from their work. Some people may feel unfulfilled in their current job or career and may be looking for ways to find more fulfillment and purpose in their daily work. Others may be motivated by a desire to make a positive impact on the world and may be looking for ways to align their work with their personal values and beliefs. Still, others may simply be looking for ways to feel more engaged and motivated in their work and maybe seeking work that is challenging, rewarding, and provides a sense of accomplishment.
Ultimately, the desire to find meaning in work is a personal one and can be influenced by a variety of factors. The more time people devote to their work, The less time they spend with their families and loved ones. The hustle culture of people slogging at a job they don’t feel fulfilled in is now being viewed as toxic and an increasing number of studies point to a faster burnout faced by those who view their jobs as just that - a job.
Before we take a deep dive into what the modern employee demands from their workplace and why employee satisfaction is so important, let us first try and understand what motivates people to take up jobs in the first place.
Most people working a 9 to 5 are doing this to have a good standard of living or to put food on the table for their family making it the central factor of most people's lives. If one were to look at the lives of the average employee in a cumulative sense, most people just seek to be happy and content at the end of their days. They would like to return to a home where their needs are met and they can spend quality time with their families, fur babies, and loved ones. Most people work so that they have a better future or are able to provide a better future to those dependent on them.
Since most people spend a good amount of their waking lives at their jobs, they seek or expect a certain amount of satisfaction from their jobs. When people feel a sense of satisfaction from their jobs, this filters into their daily lives. Research shows that job satisfaction has a direct correlation with one's mental health and overall well-being.
Various survey research has found employee satisfaction is not necessarily from their pay or from working at a job they are really passionate about. A lot of their satisfaction is derived from the cultivation of meaningful relationships at work and the knowledge that the work they are doing is meaningful. When we speak about employee purpose, we are talking about the meaning employees derive from their work and how important they feel their contribution is to the organization at large.
It goes without saying how important it is to feel valued and also like your job is having an immediate impact. Around 85% of CEOs and upper management feel their work is a purposeful and valuable addition to the organization. According to McKinsey, this contrasts with the 15% of line staff managers and employees. This difference demonstrates how seriously firms should treat the significance of finding meaning at work. The four key advantages of businesses being able to give their employees a feeling of purpose are given below.
Increased employee purpose at work can increase productivity by 22%, according to CIO research. This is because motivated workers will feel more like a member of the company, which will increase employee satisfaction and also make them more inclined to put in more time resulting in more money for your organization.
When employees find meaning in their work, leading to employee satisfaction, they will not feel stressed out as much and will want to come to work more often. When workers feel connected to a bigger purpose in their profession, it affects their mental health and well-being. They are more energized and better able to handle pressure and failure at work. Absenteeism and its impact on the effectiveness of the company are reduced as a result.
Studies suggest that workers who experience a sense of direction in their work invest more time in it and appreciate what they do. As a result, they are more motivated at work and far more receptive to new assignments and more responsibilities. Employee engagement leads to increased productivity.
If employees feel that the company's mission and their own purpose are aligned, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated. As a result, employee retention rates increase, and their risk of leaving diminishes. Additionally, it reduces the costs and inefficiency caused by high employee turnover.
Job satisfaction is rated second when it comes to important determinants of an employee's overall satisfaction from their jobs. The first spot obviously being their mental health. When employees feel satisfied with their work, the overall organizational health of the company also improves. Here are a few ways to help your employees find meaning in their work:
Covid and remote working placed a huge strain on the ability to form human connections and have meaningful interactions with our co-workers. Among all the human interactions that employees had at work, the most important was the interaction they had with management. Organize games and events that set a course for employees to interact with one another and gain new insights and perspectives. Having your employees bond over a weekly zoom meeting or solving crossword puzzles together can be a great way to connect. After all, it’s the connections we make along the way that matters the most to us.
Purpose, according to 79% of business leaders, is crucial for corporate success. However, the organizational purpose only serves as a guide in 34% of leadership decisions. Start by determining your organization's basic principles before defining its goal. After that, connect them to your larger strategy, objectives, and purpose. When your employees see your organization's purpose and resonate with them, they will be able to enjoy working with your organization.
Encourage staff members to write their own work-related headlines with a purpose. These ought to be more vibrant and descriptive than their job titles. Each employee's personal goal should also support the organization's overall goal. An employee's pride in their work and levels of engagement increased dramatically after participating in this exercise, according to KPMG's findings on the matter.
Establish a work environment where team members are regularly encouraged to propose ideas and projects that are consistent with their personal and organizational goals.
63% of workers, according to McKinsey, anticipate that their employers will give them the chance to find fulfillment in their work on a daily basis. Find ways to enable your employees to fulfill their own mission at work. You may, for instance, help them develop a five-year strategy that will direct them toward their goal.
Of all the joys and pleasures humans seek during their short lifetimes, living a meaningful life ranks the highest. Discovering what motivates your employees to wake up each morning and work at your workplace can help them have a more fulfilling career and derive more job satisfaction from their work. Additionally, it helps to improve one's physical, emotional, and motivational well-being.
Volunteering is an altruistic act that when performed gives out a neurochemical reaction that results in satisfaction and fulfillment. With Chezuba's best-in-class corporate volunteering platform, your employees will be able to give back to the community by using their skills and knowledge. Chezuba offers a gamified online volunteering platform for employee engagement that also offers dashboards to the HR and executive teams to monitor the success of their employee volunteering programs. Book a free demo with Chezuba today to learn more.
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