Are your Employees doing what they consider “meaningful work”?
By Michael W. Hill, Mobius Vendor Partners Executive Consultant,
Author of Measuring to Manage
I’m sure you have read or at least seen many of the article’s discussing “meaningful work.”
Many authors make the case that the secret to amazing employee performance is empowering talented people to succeed at meaningful work.
What is the difference between a job and meaningful work?
A job can simply be defined as completing a task. Meaningful work is defined as work that individuals perceive as positive, purposeful, personally significant, and worthwhile. People who experience meaningful work report higher job satisfaction, stronger motivation, deeper engagement, and reduced turnover
Here are a couple characteristics of meaningful work. Let’s look at each one and I’ll give you some points as to how to take positive steps to help each employee discover their meaningful work.
- Meaningful work is found when employees are told and understand how their work contributes to a larger goal or impacts others positively. This is often called connecting to a purpose.
Employers need to take the time to explain to employees the purpose of their work and how it addresses the needs of the organization, and how it helps to address the customers’ needs. Once you have done this over-and-over, it’s been said messages need to be repeated seven times before they are totally understood. After going through this with your employees you need to ask/survey your employees to make sure they understand what you have explained to them.
When employees see how their specific work makes a difference, to the company, customers, or the wider community, the results are meaningful work.
- Employees enjoy being challenged. When they are given opportunities to learn new skills, take on new responsibilities, and develop their capabilities, they see a company that cares about them, leading to a feeling of meaningful work.
You may think your employees are being challenged but have you asked them? Most surveys show that many of today’s employees are not being challenged. Just because an employee fulfills the requirements of the job doesn’t mean they’re challenged.
How do you find out? Ask/survey them. A well-designed survey can often get more information from the employee than at a face-to-face meeting.
A survey can also ask the employees for input and insight has to ways to make the job more challenging. Companies that give their employees some control over how they do their work and the decisions they are allowed to make, help them to find meaningful work.
A recent Gallup survey that tracks employees collective relationship to their work shows that around 60% of them find little meaning and take little fulfilment from their work and a staggering 20% say that it is the main reason they feel completely miserable. Another report published last year cited as many as 90% of employees were disengaged with their jobs.
The world we experience today offers us so many opportunities and choices. Are your employees looking outside your organization for any of those opportunities? Today’s top talent seeks more than just a paycheck, they seek purpose. They want to work for companies that make a positive impact and provide meaningful work.
You probably noticed that I point out with each “characteristic” that you need to ask your employees for their input. Some of what you “need” to know can only be answered by the employees themselves. Maybe a survey would help? You might be making some assumptions that are just not correct! Get your employees involved! The lack of your employees doing meaningful work may be affecting your employees more than you think and they may currently be looking for employment elsewhere because they do not feel that the organization’s culture is one in which they want to work.
You may want our help.
At Mobius’ Employee Experience – EX Consulting Employee Experience – Mobius Vendor Partners (mobiusvp.com) – we have the software to survey your employees so you can make the best decisions for your company and respond to your employees’ needs. Contact us to get started.
Mike’s book: Measuring to Manage is available on Amazon.
https://a.co/d/7TLrPuQ
